science
FDA Withdraws Proposed Ban on Indoor Tanning for Minors
The Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have prohibited people under 18 from using indoor tanning devices. The withdrawal, dated March 16, also removed a requirement for users to sign a form acknowledging health risks including cancer. The action follows public comments on the rule first proposed in 2015.
May 6, 6:00 AM·2m read1 source
Los Angeles TimesAudio version
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The rule, first proposed in 2015, drew more than 9,000 public comments. Physicians and cancer research organizations supported the measure while tanning bed industry representatives and business owners opposed it. " Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to questions about the specific concerns referenced.
Indoor tanning is associated with a 75 percent increase in melanoma risk for those who begin use before age 35. One study found that tanning beds accelerate DNA mutations even in areas of the body not typically exposed to sunlight, leading to a nearly threefold increase in lifetime melanoma risk.
Melanoma diagnosis rates have increased 46 percent in the last decade. The World Health Organization classifies UV-emitting tanning beds as a Group 1 carcinogen, in the same category as tobacco and asbestos. Tanning devices emit UVA and UVB radiation at levels far exceeding natural sunlight.
A single session can deliver UVB exposure comparable to noon at the equator while delivering roughly 15 times the UVA radiation found anywhere on Earth's surface.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have banned indoor tanning for people under 18. Roughly two dozen additional states impose some restrictions, such as requiring parental permission or limiting access for younger children. Implementation of these state rules varies.
Dermatologists there report treating former tanning bed users in their 20s and 30s for advanced melanoma. Australia and Brazil have banned cosmetic indoor tanning for all ages. Most western European countries and most Canadian provinces prohibit minors from using tanning devices.
