FDA Fights Skin Cancer with Mandated Tanning Bed Labels

Despite repeated warnings that indoor tanning beds are directly linked with a risk of skin cancer, plenty of people still hop in to achieve that "healthy" bronzed glow. In an effort to decrease the number of skin cancer cases, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its regulation of tanning beds, requiring a visible warning against their use in people under the age of 18.

The federal agency has updated tanning bed and sunlamp labels from low-risk to moderate-risk devices. Although these black box warnings are the FDA's strictest, it still does not bar the use of such devices for minors. Warnings about the risk of skin cancer must also be included in any user instructions, brochures or marketing materials on the Internet.

"The FDA has taken an important step today to address the risk to public health from sunlamp products," Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a news release. "Repeated UV exposure from sunlamp products poses a risk of skin cancer for all users - but the highest risk for skin cancer is in young persons under the age of 18 and people with a family history of skin cancer."

It is the UV radiation that's emitted from such tanning products that may lead to skin cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, those exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning experience a 59 percent increase in the risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. And this risk increases with each use of a sunlamp product.

Under the new rule, manufacturers will now have to apply for FDA approval prior to marketing indoor tanning devices, which until now were exempt from premarket review, HealthDay reported.

"Hindsight is 20/20, but what we need is foresight, something that most teenagers do not have with their skin," said Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.