B.C. is the latest jurisdiction to ban children and teens from tanning beds.
Health minister Mike de Jong says the increased risk of cancer connected to the beds is too great to take less restrictive measures, such as requiring parental consent.
He says the government will pass regulations by the fall preventing children under 18 from using tanning salons.
De Jong says teens can get a prescription if UV tanning is required for medical reasons, such as to treat psoriasis.
The decision comes after the government consulted the medical community, municipalities and the tanning industry, with all but the industry association calling for a ban.
Nova Scotia already bans anyone under 19 from using tanning beds, and the city of Victoria implemented its own ban last year.
