Ban tanning beds for minors

The Food and Drug administration is making it harder for teens to achieve that flawless glow by banning anyone under 18 from being able to use an indoor tanning device.

Feds said no to tanning beds for minors and are moving ahead of banning everyone under 18 years-old from using such a device. “The FDA’s long-awaited tanning device proposals are an important step that will help to reduce skin cancer diagnoses and deaths”, the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network said in a statement.

“There is increasing evidence that indoor tanning during childhood and early adult life increases the risk of skin cancer, including melanoma”, says Markham C. Luke, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and the deputy office director of the Office of Device Evaluation at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

The proposed regulations also require new safety features, including easier-to-read warnings and emergency shut-off “panic buttons”.

Now, in terms of tanning, according to a recent statistic, it would seem that more than 1.6 million teenagers make use of this hazardous tanning method. You have a 59% higher chance of developing melanoma if you’re exposed to UV rays in an indoor tanning booth, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. “Exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning is a preventable cause of skin cancer”.

“Tanning beds are risky and should not be used by anyone under age 18”, AAP President Dr. Sandra Hassink said in the release.

Twenty three states already have laws banning minors from using indoor tanning equipment. “We encourage the FDA to finalize this proposed rule, as it would be a historic victory in our nation’s fight to eradicate skin cancer”. First was to block use of sunlamp products by minors completely.

The proposed safety measures are available online for public comment for 90 days, the agency said. Data’s from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around 3,000 emergency cases occurred in the year of 2012-13 only because of indoor tannin.FDA also issued another circulation stating that sunlamp manufacturers and tanning facility providers must ensure quality by regular check up and improve the safety of their products. Since a research links exposure of UV radiation from tanning beds to melanoma and other skin cancer types, they made a decision to propose to ban all those who are under 18 from getting tan indoors.

The proposed device restriction would apply to manufacturers and tanning facility operators; the FDA estimates that there are up to 19,000 indoor tanning salons in the US and from 15,000 to 20,000 other facilities that offer indoor tanning services, such as health clubs.

The Skin Cancer Foundation has more about indoor tanning and skin cancer risk.