Evidence-informed UVR policy actions

February 1, 2019

Learn how local, provincial and territorial governments can protect the public from solar and artificial ultraviolet radiation (UVR) by implementing evidence-informed policies

Inside this UVR policy pack

• UVR policy pack: background evidence
• Evidence-informed UVR policy actions
• Key statistics: Exposure to solar and artificial UVR in Canada
• Public perceptions of the issue of exposure to UVR and cancer
• Economic evidence to support UVR policy
• Indicators to measure progress on UVR policy

What are evidence-informed UVR policy actions for local and provincial/territorial governments?

Evidence-informed policy interventions exist at the local, provincial and territorial levels to promote and support reduction in UVR exposure.

Both provincial/territorial and local governments can:

• Adopt sun protection policies (e.g. clothing guidelines) and policies that add shade structures and other sun protection features to the built environment for passive sun protection in various settings including school and child care settings, outdoor recreation and tourist settings, and outdoor work environments, as an effective means of promoting sun-protective behaviour.^1,2,3,4,5,6
• Adopt policies that ban the use and/or sale of commercial tanning units for the general population and restrict use of commercial tanning units by minors. Indoor tanning legislation has been shown to be associated with lower indoor tanning prevalence among youth.⁷ A systematic review on the impact of indoor tanning legislation on youth tanning behaviours in the United States indicated that the prevalence of youth indoor tanning was significantly lower in states with indoor tanning laws.⁷

Learn what evidence-informed UVR policies have been adopted by local and provincial territorial governments:

• Summary of evidence-informed UVR policy adoption by local governments across Canada
• Summary of evidence-informed UVR policy adoption by provincial and territorial governments across Canada

References

¹ Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2013). Skin cancer: Child care center-based interventions. Retrieved from: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/skin-cancer-child-care-center-based-interventions

² Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2012). Skin cancer: Primary and middle school-based interventions. Retrieved from: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/skin-cancer-primary-and-middle-school-based-interventions

³ Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2014). Skin cancer: Interventions in outdoor recreational and tourism settings. Retrieved from: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/skin-cancer-interventions-outdoor-recreational-and-tourism-settings

⁴ Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2013). Skin cancer: Interventions in outdoor occupational settings. Retrieved from: https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/skin-cancer-interventions-outdoor-occupational-settings

⁵ Parisi, A. V. & Turnbull, D. J. (2014). Shade provision for UV minimization: A review. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 90(3).

⁶ Cancer Care Ontario. (2016). 2016 Prevention System Quality Index.

⁷ Reimann, R., McWhirter, J. E., Cimino, A., Papadopoulos, A. & Dewey, C. (2018). Impact of indoor tanning legislation on youth tanning behvaiour: A systematic review. Guelph, Ontario : Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph.