Indoor Tanners Be Warned

Indoor tanning is a dangerous practice. Why? Because the artificial rays, like the sun itself, increase the risk of skin cancer, including deadly melanoma.

Now the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants to warn indoor tanners.

The FDA has issued a proposed order to reclassify sunlamp products and include prominent labeling to warn users about the dangers of indoor tanning.

Know the dangers of indoor tanning.

The American Academy of Dermatology says indoor tanning increases an individual’s melanoma risk by 75 percent, and those risks increase with every use.

The proposed order doesn’t forbid indoor tanning use for those under the age of 18, but warnings about the consequences will be highlighted.

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, said in a press release announcing the proposed order, “The FDA’s proposed changes will help address some of the risks associated with sunlamp products and provide consumers with clear and consistent information.”

If finalized, here’s what the order would require:

• Manufacturers would have to submit a pre-market notification to the FDA.
• Sunlamp products would be reclassified from low to moderate risk devices.
• Manufacturers would have to prove that their products meet performance testing requirements.
• Comprehensive warning labels would provide clear information on the risks of using the devices.
• The order would include particular language warning people under the age of 18 from using the devices.
• The labels would also urge frequent users to be regularly screened for skin cancer.

The FDA will take comments on this order for 90 days.