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FDA To Toughen Up on Tanning Bed Warnings

by Courtney Dunlop (Subscribe to Courtney Dunlop's posts)
Posted Jan 19th 2010 at 5:00PM  
5 Comments
Share

Tanning beds are under scrutiny. Photo: Getty Images

Just like people who continue to smoke regardless of the lung cancer warnings or folks who subsist solely on greasy fast food despite the health risks, there are thousands and thousands of people who use indoor tanning beds even though the World Health Organization's cancer division has listed indoor tanning beds as definitive cancer-causers.

(Not to mention wrinkles, sagging, age spots and rough, uneven skin!)

Although it seems like common sense to most people that tanning beds pose a health risk, it's shocking how much misinformation and propaganda is out there trying to lure people into pumping money into the lucrative $5 billion a year industry.

One StyleList staffer remembers a gym tour that concluded at the attached tanning salon -- she was horrified when the membership guy tried to sell her a tanning package and actually said (and probably believed it from the booth manufacturer brochure) that these particular tanning beds "don't give off the kind of light that causes cancer."

Another recalls her horror when she received a press release touting tanning beds as a "healthy" way to get Vitamin D.

Pair those statements with a person's longing for a golden tan and it's easy to see why the frying continues.

The US Food and Drug is now exploring stricter tanning bed regulations which will include more prominent warnings in the hopes that people will be more informed about the dangers of indoor tanning and think twice before hitting the beds.

According to The Huffington Post, the Indoor Tanning Association -- already up in arms over a proposed 10% tax on tanning services in the Health Care Reform Bill -- claims there is no new science to justify increased FDA regulation.

On the ITA website they claim to "protect the freedom of individuals to acquire a suntan." But don't those same individuals have the right to know the risks of indoor tanning before they decide to use them?

In any rate, they'll be paying more: the Health Care Bill now includes a 10% tax on tanning beds, expected to raise $2.7 billion over ten years.

What are your thoughts on this debate? Leave a comment below and tell us!
Read All Comments
Filed under: Beauty, News, Skin & Body
Tags: HuffingtonPost, Indoor Tanning Association, IndoorTanningAssociation, skin cancer, SkinCancer, tanning, tanning beds, TanningBeds
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  • Under 30s Who Are Addicted to Tanning Beds Under 30s Who Are Addicted to Tanning Beds Play In this edition of EmpowHER's "HER Week In Health" for the week of August 12, 2011, Bailey Mosier talks about a study in which experts say that for some people using a tanning bed has the same addictive quality as some drugs. Bailey also shares some tips on how getting up and moving can help curb the pains associated with arthritis, and finally shares some simple tips about how changing your snacking habits can help you shed those unwanted pounds.
  • Why Tanning Beds Are Hazardous to Your Health Why Tanning Beds Are Hazardous to Your Health Play Just yesterday, Lancet Oncology, a leading medical journal stated that, "The risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age." While the medical community has known that tanning salons cause skin cancer (the most common form of cancer), there is now finally proof. Dr. Schultz will also explain why tanning beds are so hazardous to your health.
  • Urlesque Daily: Tanning Bed Scare Prank Urlesque Daily: Tanning Bed Scare Prank Play Urlesque Daily, 11/29/11: A boyfriend pulls a terrifying prank on his girlfriend using a tanning bed, a news reporter gets interrupted on live TV, and a dog tries to make a baby throw a frisbee.
  • The Severe Health Risks of Tanning Beds The Severe Health Risks of Tanning Beds Play What are the most severe health risks of tanning beds? Is it OK to go once a week or is that too much? ICYOU.com's Valerie Scott, M.D explains.

READER COMMENTS

(5)Add A Comment

Jeffrie Ann, 1-19-2010, 6:00PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Jeffrie Ann

As an Esthetician and skin care blogger, I am all for the 10% tax. Tanning Salons pose a real risk to good health. And I do believe that if you are going to insist on using them in light of all the information available citing the risks, you should pay a tax. Smokers pay a tax on their bad habits, why not tanners who are risking Malignant Melanoma? People who continue to harm themselves voluntarily burden our health care system.

Reply »

Heather, 1-20-2010, 11:40AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Heather

Way to buy into the myth of tanning beds. Tanning beds to not cause Melanoma. Tanning in a tanning bed actually decreases your chances of getting Melanoma. I suggest next time you want to write something to tear down an industry, you do the research. Don't buy into what the cosmetic industry wants you to believe - read the research yourself. The only study tying cancer to tanning beds is the WHO report, but if you actually read it for yourself, it is only in people with Type 1 skin, which the tanning industry will not allow in tanning beds because they are unable to tan. The same report also says that fish and red wine are carcinogens, but I don't see you attacking them.

Reply »

FTC, 1-27-2010, 11:35AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
FTC

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/01/tanning.shtm


Indoor Tanning Association Settles FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers About Skin Cancer Risks From Tanning

The Federal Trade Commission today charged the Indoor Tanning Association with making false health and safety claims about indoor tanning. Contrary to claims in the association’s advertising, indoor tanning increases the risk of squamous cell and melanoma skin cancers, according to the FTC complaint. The association has agreed to a settlement that bars it from any further deception.

“The messages promoted by the indoor tanning industry fly in the face of scientific evidence,” said David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The industry needs to do a better job of communicating the risks of tanning to consumers.”

The Indoor Tanning Association represents tanning facilities and suppliers of tanning equipment. The FTC complaint alleges that in March 2008, the association launched an advertising campaign designed to portray indoor tanning as safe and beneficial. The campaign included two national newspaper ads, television and video advertising, two Web sites, a communications guide, and point-of-sale materials that were provided to association members for distribution in local markets. In addition to denying the skin cancer risks of tanning, the campaign allegedly also made these false claims:

Indoor tanning is approved by the government;
Indoor tanning is safer than tanning outdoors because the amount of ultraviolet light received when tanning indoors is monitored and controlled;
Research shows that vitamin D supplements may harm the body’s ability to fight disease; and
A National Academy of Sciences study determined that “the risks of not getting enough ultraviolet light far outweigh the hypothetical risk of skin cancer.”
The complaint also alleges that the association failed to disclose material facts in its advertising.

Under its settlement with the Commission, the association is prohibited from making the
misrepresentations challenged in the complaint, from misrepresenting any tests or studies, and from providing deceptive advertisements to members. The settlement also requires that future association ads that make safety or health benefits claims for indoor tanning may not be misleading and must be substantiated. Further, the order requires that certain future advertisements from the association contain disclosures. Ads that make claims about the safety or health benefits of indoor tanning are required to clearly and prominently make this disclosure:

“NOTICE: Exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase the likelihood of developing skin cancer and can cause serious eye injury.”

Ads that claim exposure to ultraviolet radiation produces vitamin D in the body, or make other claims about the effectiveness or usefulness of indoor tanning products or services for the body’s generation of vitamin D, must clearly and prominently make this disclosure:

“NOTICE: You do not need to become tan for your skin to make vitamin D. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase the likelihood of developing skin cancer and can cause serious eye injury.”

For more information about how indoor or outdoor tanning increases the risk of melanoma and other types of skin cancer, read the FTC Consumer Alert Indoor Tanning at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt174.pdf

The Commission vote to approve the administrative complaint and proposed consent agreement was 4-0. The FTC will publish an announcement regarding the agreement in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through February 26, 2010, after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. To file a public comment, please click on the following hyperlink: https://public.commentworks.com/ftc/indoortanningassoc and follow the instructions at that site.

Copies of the complaint, the proposed consent agreement, and an analysis of the
agreement to aid in public comment are available from both the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.

NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. A consent agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission of a law violation. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Betsy Lordan
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-3707
STAFF CONTACT:
Janet Evans
Bureau of Consumer Protection
202-326-2125

Reply »

melanotan for sale, 2-19-2010, 4:12AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
melanotan for sale

Now it is really proven that using tanning beds can really cause skin cancer, it based on many research and studies and based also to the testimony of users of tanning bed. This new report regarding to confirmation of tanning beds that it can really causes cancer, hope that it will be the start of awareness of many people to prevent this illness. But despite of many warnings, still there are many addicts who continually using it because of the effectiveness they saw as a result.


http://buymelanotanii.com

Reply »

europa tan, 9-24-2011, 5:54PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
europa tan

Too much of anything is probably going to be risky in the long run. My advice is to stay out of the sun on very hot days if you live in places like Florida or Australia.

Reply »

 
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