Starting Thursday, people under the age of 18 will be banned from tanning beds across Ontario.
The ban, which passed through Queen’s Park unanimously last fall, requires tanning bed operators to ask customers for proof of age if they appear to be under the age of 25.
Operators will also have to post signs regarding the restriction, and others warning of the dangers associated with tanning bed use.
The ultraviolet radiation present in tanning beds has been linked to skin cancer by the World Health Organization, with young people more vulnerable to its effects.
The province says more than $344 million was spent in Ontario in 2011 to treat skin cancer.
Similar bans are already in effect in Quebec, British Columbia and other provinces.
