The Saskatchewan government is moving to ban people under 18 from using tanning beds.

Health Minister Dustin Duncan says the move will help lower the risk of melanoma for young people.

"We'll obviously consult with the industry on this," Duncan said. "We want to make sure that no operators are caught unintentionally with still providing the service with people they're not allowed to."

He said the province will look at regulations in other jurisdictions for guidance.

Saskatchewan is the last province to introduce such legislation, after Alberta recently announced a similar bill.

Duncan said the government wanted to gather as much information as possible, and to be aware of different perspectives before proceeding.

Last March, the health minister rejected the idea of banning minors from using tanning beds, despite pressure from some groups, including the Canadian Cancer Society.

Donna Pasiechnik, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Cancer Society in Saskatchewan, said the organization is concerned about the rise of melanoma across the country.

"People who begin tanning under the age of 35 increase their risk of developing melanoma by 59 per cent," she said. "The combination of education and public policy greatly increases the dialogue and awareness among people about the dangers of indoor tanning."

She said Australia and Brazil have banned indoor tanning outright and many European countries have youth restrictions.

"This regulation in our mind could not come soon enough," Pasiechnik said.

The new regulations are expected to be implemented this summer.

With files from The Canadian Press