Gym Chain Scraps Sunbeds Because of Cancer Risk
Image: YLE
The Nordic region's biggest chain of fitness gyms, SATS, is removing all tanning equipment from its sites.
The chain says it is closing its solariums because the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared them to directly increase the risk of cancer. The WHO’s health chiefs assigned sunbeds in the top cancer threat category alongside cigarettes.
Next month the chain will remove tanning salons from its eight gyms in Finland and about 100 in three other Scandinavian countries.
“Our goal is to promote health. According to the WHO report, solariums don’t support our aims,” says Tom Lindblad, country manager for SATS Finland.
Last week, the Nordic radiation safety authorities issued a joint statement calling for a ban on solarium use by under 18s.
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