NEWS: FDA Issues Warning About Indoor Tanning
Last Updated (Friday, 04 June 2010 09:56)
With the summer literally right around the corner, the FDA released an informational video and article for consumers on the risks associated with Indoor Tanning. They warn that the idea of getting a "base" tan before going on vacation or spending the summer months in the sun is not the safe route.
“A tan is the skin’s reaction to exposure to UV rays,” says Sharon Miller, M.S.E.E., a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and international expert on UV radiation and tanning.
“Recognizing exposure to the rays as an ‘insult,’ the skin acts in self-defense by producing more melanin, a pigment that darkens the skin. Over time, this damage will lead to prematurely aged skin and, in some cases, skin cancer.”
As we reported last summer, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, concluded that tanning devices that emit UV radiation are more dangerous than previously thought. IARC moved these devices into the highest cancer risk category: “carcinogenic to humans.” Previously, it had categorized the devices as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” They also concluded that the damage from tanning can take decades to develop which resulted in a movement to ban indoor tanning for those under the age of 18.
In addition to the risks of skin cancer, other risks noted in the article include premature aging and eye damage. The IARC has made strong statements about the dangers of indoor tanning equipment specificially however they also note that they are limited in their research because people have a hard time recalling the exact number of indoor tanning uses and what UV radiation level they were exposed to.
For the full article CLICK HERE.
To view the Video CLICK HERE.
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