The Canadian Cancer Society in British Columbia and the Yukon is pushing for a ban on teens using tanning salons.

The organization is leading the push for the ban less than a month after a National Sun Survey revealed that more than 40 per cent of young British Columbians don't use sunscreen.

Sharon Storoschuck, the Canadian Cancer Society [1]'s manager of health promotions for B.C. and the Yukon explains that children and youth usually have more exposure to the sun, and "we know that any sun damage before the age of 18 greatly increases your risk of skin cancer."

Storoschuck also said their surveys show that about 25 per cent of Canadian females aged 16-24 use artificial tanning.

"We know that artificial tanning means unprotected exposure to UV radiation (and) that will increase that your risk to skin cancer," she said. "We are just trying to help that vulnerable population make healthier choices."

Storoschuck said that a ban could "greatly impact the behaviours" of teenagers, the way that anti-smoking laws have.

The World Health Organization (WHO) [2], has been outspoken in its belief that tanning beds should be banned to people who are under the age of 18.

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, is the second most common cancer in people between the ages of 15-34.