Indoor Tanning is Harmful to Your Health
Periodically, we will publish articles by legislators who recognize the importance of preventing cancer as well as helping patients with the disease and who have sponsored and supported legislative efforts to improve cancer prevention and early detection. Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) is such a leader. We thank Congresswoman Maloney for her leadership and her continuing efforts.
As summer tans fade, millions of Americans head to the nation's tanning salons to keep that desired "glow." The tanning bed industry is telling Americans, including the young, that a so-called "base tan" is a healthy, preventive measure they can use to avoid sunburn. In many cases, salons even offer free introductory sessions to high schoolers to reel them in.
With all of this encouragement to get an artificial tan, the risks of getting skin cancer are lost or not discussed at all. I believe that the extreme dangers of indoor tanning must be told.
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and the statistics are alarming. There are over one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the United States every year, outnumbering the total number of other cancers combined. Skin cancer includes the most serious skin cancer, melanoma, as well as the most common forms, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Over 10,000 Americans die of skin cancer every year, 75 percent from deadly melanoma. A person's chances of getting invasive melanoma are 1 in 63, and their odds of getting melanoma (both invasive and in situ) are 1 in 33. In fact, one American dies of melanoma every 65 minutes.
What's remarkable about this is that it doesn’t take difficult precautionary measures to prevent skin cancer. It’s become common knowledge that we should limit unprotected exposure to the sun, and use sunscreens with at least a sun protection factor (spf) of 15 or more. Unfortunately, the message hasn't gotten out that no one should be using tanning parlors or sun lamps. These devices are simply too dangerous and pose too great a threat.
Many people understand that tanning outside in the sun is harmful; however, too many more mistakenly believe that artificial tanning is a safer alternative. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), almost 30 million Americans visit indoor tanning salons each year – 70% of visitors are women between the ages of 16 and 49. More than 25% of teen girls have used tanning salons three or more times in their lives. Not surprisingly, one of the reported side effects of indoor tanning is an elevated risk of skin cancer. According to the AAD, regular tanning bed use was associated with a 55% increase in the risk of developing melanoma, especially in women between the ages of 20 and 29. As a result, dermatologists have concluded that indoor tanning is unsafe, but the message and the warning is not getting out.
I feel strongly that people should be informed of the dangers of indoor tanning devices and that warning labels should be prominently displayed so that people see them before they get into tanning beds. The current label has not been updated since 1979 and is lengthy and confusing. Since there is no requirement stipulating where it should be placed, many of the labels are placed on the lid of the tanning bed, which is often open when you enter. It's akin to putting the warning label for cigarettes on the inside of the box. To address these issues, I introduced the Tanning Accountability and Notification Act (TAN Act) which became law in September 2007 as part of the FDA reform bill (HR 3580). This law requires the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine whether the current labeling of indoor tanning beds provides sufficient information about the risks associated with indoor tanning and whether modifying the warning label required on tanning beds would more effectively communicate the risks of skin cancer to the general public. The FDA's report was slated for release in the fall of 2008. It is my hope the FDA will recognize the deficiencies of the current label and require that the devices state the truth: ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer.
Years ago, nobody knew just how harmful cigarettes were, but today, everyone understands the risks because warning labels are very clear. With tanning beds, we are now where we were decades ago with cigarettes – we don't want to wait another fifty years before we fully inform the public about the cancer risks caused by indoor tanning. Americans value their health and they want to be informed about the issues that affect it. We must ensure that men and women are making educated choices about whether or not to indoor tan. It's clear: the only safe tan is from a bottle.
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney
Democrat, New York
New York’s 14th District
Representing the East Side of Manhattan and parts of Queens
