January 23, 2012

W5 Investigates the Dangers of Cosmetic Laser Treatments and the Controversy of Using Chimpanzees for Medical Research, January 28 on CTV

– Beverly Thomson reports on the dangers of cosmetic laser treatments practiced in an unregulated industry –
– Victor Malarek investigates an American research centre’s treatment of chimpanzees –

	CTV’s Beverly Thomson, on special assignment to W5, reveals the potential dangers of cosmetic laser treatment.

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Toronto, ON (January 23, 2012) – On Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV and CTV Mobile, CTV’s Beverly Thomson, on special assignment to W5, reveals the potential dangers of cosmetic laser treatment. Promising smooth, hairless, flawless skin the treatments were once limited to dermatologists’ offices. Now laser treatment is the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure and is widely available in salons and through daily online deals. W5 discovers that such laser treatments are completely unregulated, and in the wrong hands, horrific injuries can result, including severe burns and permanent scarring.

In the second report W5’s Victor Malarek looks at the use of chimpanzees in medical research. Outside Montreal he finds a chimpanzee sanctuary, where chimps that have “retired” from research laboratories spend their waning years. In Louisiana, W5 gets a rare and exclusive look inside the New Iberia Research Centre, a facility still using chimpanzees for research, and investigates the methods used to conduct research on chimps.

W5, Canada’s #1 documentary series, also airs Sundays at 1 p.m. ET on CP24 and at 7 p.m. ET on CTV Two, and then on demand on the CTV News Video Player at CTVNews.ca (visit CTV.ca for local listings).

In “Don’t Get Burned”, W5 dispatches two female mystery shoppers, equipped with hidden cameras, to visit a random sampling of beauty salons offering laser treatments in an effort to see first-hand the often dubious claims made by some aestheticians. In a prior consultation with a dermatologist, W5’s mystery shoppers are warned that skin type and colour should determine the type of treatment received. But at most salons, the women are told one laser can do it all, with no risk of side effects.

W5 speaks with victims of laser treatments gone horribly wrong. No one is keeping track of how many Canadians are injured by these unregulated treatments, but in a survey prepared for W5 by the Canadian Dermatology Association, doctors reveal the astounding numbers of injuries they have seen as a result of treatments, including scarring, infection, pigment change and severe burns.

W5 also reveals how easy it is for anyone to become certified to use these high risk medical devices. W5’s producer was trained in less than one hour, certified to begin offering laser treatments, and then able to rent one of the powerful machines to set up her own laser spa.

In “Monkey Business,” Victor Malarek examines the use of chimpanzees in laboratory research. W5 visits The Fauna Foundation, a sanctuary south of Montreal that houses chimps once used in research, and The New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana, the largest primate research facility in the world, to take a closer look at the issues, costs, benefits, and drawbacks of using chimps for medical vaccine research. The New Iberia Center was criticized in 2008 when the American Humane Society released shocking hidden camera video depicting alleged cruelty against the chimps. Public opinion on this topic varies widely and there is currently a bill before Congress in the United States to ban the use of chimps in medical protocols altogether.

With an ongoing commitment to covering tough, relevant stories with fair and responsible reporting, W5 is in its 46th season of investigative journalism. Hosted by Lloyd Robertson, the award-winning series is the most-watched current affairs program in Canada. Anton Koschany is Executive Producer of W5. Brett Mitchell is Senior Producer. Wendy Freeman is President of CTV News.

About CTV
CTV, Canada’s Olympic Network, is also Canada's largest private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV is Canada’s most-watched television network and lead broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network’s website at ctv.ca.

-CTV-

For more information, contact:
Patricia Garcia, CTV Inc., 416.384.2645 or patricia.garcia@bellmedia.ca
Emily Young Lee, CTV Inc., 416.384.3004 or emily.younglee@bellmedia.ca

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