The ACS CAN has urged the FDA to finalize its tanning device regulations.
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Amanda Rupp | Mar 25, 2016

Cancer Action Network urges FDA to finalize tanning bed regulations

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) recently encouraged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize its rules about tanning devices.

The ACS CAN believes that there needs to be additional regulation in order to decrease the number of skin cancer incidence as well as deaths.

By finalizing the rules, the FDA can resolve significant safety concerns related to indoor tanning. The rules would help adolescents be better protected against one of the most easily avoided contributors to skin cancer.

It is especially important to restrict tanning devices to people who are 18 years old and above; teens are using tanning devices at higher and higher rates. One out of every five high school girls has gone to a tanning device, and these figures rise to one out of every four girls by their last year of high school.

This is a significant health concern as research suggests that using tanning devices before a person is 35 years old can increase the chance of developing melanoma by approximately 59 percent.

“To protect youth from the harmful effects of artificial ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a federal rule to restrict access of tanning devices to individuals under 18 is essential, without exceptions,” an ACS CAN representative said. “In addition, the FDA needs to ensure that enforcement measures and oversight mechanisms are in place to guarantee that youth are not gaining access to these harmful devices.”

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