On Friday, Dec. 18, the Food and Drug Administration announced a federal regulatory proposal prohibiting minors from using indoor tanning equipment. The FDA also will require tanning bed users to sign consent forms acknowledging the risks of the tanning salons. Salon operators would have to collect the forms from customers before their first tanning session and every six months thereafter.
Leadership of the American Academy of Dermatology welcomed the announcement following years of advocating for the action. Because of the alarming increase in the number of new cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, twenty three states already ban minors from using indoor tanning equipment.
"Despite available information about its adverse effects, many high schoolers continue to use indoor tanning devices", the FDA's Dr. Vasum Peiris told reporters. "Now we're taking further steps." Dr. Peiris is a chief medical officers in the FDA's device center. The FDA would be able to seize machines and fine tanning businesses that don't follow the rules, once finalized.
The Maine Medical Association has strongly supported such a ban in Maine. The Maine legislature has enacted such a prohibition on two occasions, only to have Governor Paul LePage veto the legislation and having the veto sustained. The MMA continues to support this and other initiatives to combat cancer.
Nearly 74,000 new cases of melanoma are expected to be diagnosed this year, and the disease is expected to cause nearly 10,000 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.
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Jenna Miller (Saturday, April 09, 2016)
Common Sense