ASDSA Applauds Passage of Under-18 Indoor Tanning Ban
Rolling Meadows, IL (PRWEB) December 03, 2014 -- The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association applauds the District of Columbia for its passage of a measure banning indoor tanning for minors under the age of 18. The Youth Tanning Safety Regulation Act of 2014 was unanimously approved by the D.C. Council Tuesday and is awaiting the signature of Mayor Vincent C. Gray and approval by Congress before becoming law.
Previously, D.C. regulations banned indoor tanning for minors under the age of 14. Nationwide, 40 states have enacted measures prohibiting, at some level, youth access to indoor tanning devices. Eleven states (California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Vermont and Washington) completely ban indoor tanning for those younger than 18.
“The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association is pleased the District of Columbia’s elected officials acted to safeguard the health of their youth,” said ASDSA President George J. Hruza, M.D., MBA. “Our members have expressed concerns at the alarming increases in younger patients being diagnosed with skin cancer – often in advanced stages. Ultraviolet light is a proven carcinogen and indoor tanning puts lives at risk.”
The legislation will help to significantly reduce a minor’s exposure to artificial sources of ultraviolet radiation – a leading cause of skin cancer, Dr. Hruza said. People who use a tanning device are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma, according to researchers, and 20 minutes spent in an indoor tanning facility may equal two to three hours in the noontime sun.
People who first use an indoor tanning device before age 35 increase their risk of developing deadly melanoma – the most rare kind of skin cancer and the most deadly – by 75 percent.
In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized stricter regulations on indoor tanning beds and recommended against the use of tanning beds by minors under the age of 18. All indoor tanning equipment now must post warning labels noting that recommendation. In addition, the FDA reclassified ultraviolet tanning devices from Class I (low to moderate risk) to Class II (moderate to high risk.)
About the ASDSA
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA) is the largest specialty organization exclusively representing dermatologic surgeons who have unique training and experience to treat the health, function and beauty of your skin. Dermatologic surgeons are experts in skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment. As the incidence of skin cancer rises, dermatologic surgeons are committed to taking steps to minimize the life-threatening effects of this disease. For more information, visit http://asdsa.asds.net.
Beth Bales, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, http://www.asds.net, +1 847-956-9143, [email protected]
Share this article