Tanning beds could be forced to carry labels designed to warn young people against using them should a proposed order put forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) go through.
“Using indoor tanning beds can damage your skin and increase your risk of developing skin cancer,” FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said in a press release. “The FDA’s proposed changes will help address some of the risks associated with sunlamp products and provide consumers with clear and consistent information.”
In addition, the order would reclassify sunlamp products from a low risk device, to a moderate risk device.
Such a move would require manufacturers to submit a pre-market notification to prove the devices meet “certain performance requirements, address certain product design characteristics and provide comprehensive labeling that presents consumers with clear information of the risks of use.”
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, those exposed to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning experience a 75 percent increase in their risk of developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. What’s more, the organization warns, this risk increases with each use.
The World Health Organization classifies ultraviolet light as a carcinogen in the same category as cigarette smoke.
According to USA Today, the American Suntanning Association, which represents tanning salon owners, issued a statement saying the “professional sunbed community has not had any input in this preliminary proposal thus far,” though it says that it looks forward to working with the FDA “to improve consumer protection and to assure that all information regarding indoor tanning is in accordance with science.”
Ultimately, the law would not prohibit those under the age of 18 soliciting tanning salons, but rather focuses on the dissemination of health-related risks for those pursuing such a lifestyle choice.
The FDA is taking comments on the proposed order over the next 90 days.
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