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TANNING DREAD

Should the FDA Crack Down on Tanning Beds?

They're as bad as arsenic and mustard gas, says ACA

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: standard.net

Despite the likely protests from this woman and other fans of artificial tanning, the American Cancer Society is calling on the FDA to crackdown on tanning beds with much stricter regulations than currently exist.

The ACA has appealed to the Food and Drug Administration to classify tanning beds as "carcinogenic to humans," the agency's highest risk cancer category for products subject to its review, according to The Hill. The ACA recommendation is based on the expertise of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which claims the danger represented by tanning beds is comparable to that of arsenic and even mustard gas.

"Indoor tanning beds are not safe and not appropriately regulated," said ACS Deputy Chief Medical Officer Len Lichtenfeld in a letter contradicted by tanning bed makers, who argue that their products present no risk of deadly cancer.

Via The Hill.
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Should tanning beds be more strictly regulated?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • u
    crusader
    !
    Foonce we actually agree on something. I think maybe they should have a minimum age restrictions, but even that could not stop those who ahve tanning beds in their homes. I have heard excessive use messes up the internal organs, much like an oven, which they bascially are, they bake the inside as well. I would not say they can not be used but they should have restrictions on how often, age and each person must be sign a paper that list all possible danger of them and they accept the risk.
  • u
    EricReese
    !
    @crusader "what you have heard" is absolutely wrong. Other potential risks aside, not even a doctor that vehemently opposes tanning beds would make that statement.
  • Ashstop
    !
    Tank tops , sleeveless shirts, swim suits all should be banned, along with fast food, anything but water to drink, meat etc
    I don't know how we survived as the human race before, Thank God big brother will save us all from going extinct
  • PNWest
    !
    In order to avoid the fiscal cliff I propose that President Obama offer to lower taxes on tanning salons and beta carotene manufactures. By compromising with Speaker John "The Orange Smurf" Boehner on these his favorite tax cuts we may be able to break the stalemate and do the right thing by America.
  • DogLady_1
    !
    In order to avoid the "fiscal cliff", I propose congress stop playing around with stupid stuff like this and get on with important business! Geez, they act like they can stretch this out for two MORE years!
  • PNWest
    !
    @RobertJHarsh I didn't realize that. Let me correct my characterization of him then.....Speaker John "Pumpkin Head" Boehner.
  • DogLady_1
    !
    No, people should be informed consumers... only a fool would subject themsleves to a piece of equipment without understanding how it works and what it does. How about a little personal responsibility instead of making our gov't be our babysitters??? It's amazing to me how many people are willing to destroy their own bodies in the persuit of superficial beauty...
  • jessejaymes
    !
    Well let's think this through. The govt subsidizes tobacco farming, then taxes cigarettes at both the state and federal level making them the biggest profiteer from a pack of cigarettes of anyone in the chain and then they sue the cigarette companies for more money (and get it) and that money shows up in a few commercials warning us about the dangers of smoking. YET the govt doesn't ban tobacco. I see no reason for us to get involved in tanning beds beyond a warning on each bed.
  • u
    mtkopf
    !
    I don't know where you live but we get city and county taxes also. Smokers and drinkers are like the fat kids in school--always getting picked on.
  • jessejaymes
    !
    @mtkopf Yeah they do here too. But what gets me is our government is the biggest drug dealer (tobacco) in the nation, making billions from these taxes and they don't care if we smoke, they just want the money. But tanning beds? Now there's a different story. They can't figure a way to make billions off of taxing tanning beds so they'll just ban them, right? The older I get the more I hate our Govt. Both parties.
  • marine1
    !
    @mtkopf Yes and these are the people that vote for the people that tax them from dusk to dawn while telling them that, "we WON'T raise taxs on those making under 250K. Go figure.
  • u
    seedtick
    !
    If an adult wants to use this device, it is no different than smoking...they can do it. How stupid is this?.........approve the use of pot and ban the use of tanning beds. IMHO...it is stupid, stupid, stupid.
  • 1adam2
    !
    yeah but can they thin, themselves before they reproduce? could be like the ceyote hunts, the more you kill the more they reproduce before you can kill em.
  • 1adam2
    !
    can we make arsnic, an over the counter drug. to help speed, things along. but wait, mass murderes are on the loose. and i would hate to see, the governments arsenic control plans.
  • MarkJM
    !
    Let the "Darwins" be stupid and burn themselves to a crisp all they want. It shouldn't be the governments (i.e. the taxpayers) problem. Thin the herd baby. Darwin award recipients all around...
  • u
    EricReese
    !
    Current regulations are absolutely strong enough and it's ridiculous to think otherwise. Why? Because the research that the ACS and other group tries to use to justify increased regulation is complete junk science. Clearly tanning beds are something that should not be used in excess, just like anything else, but the research certainly doesn't show any reason for increased regulation. The ACS is making a complete exaggeration of the IARC's opinion on the subject. There is in fact no comparison to arsenic and mustard gas....sunbeds are placed in this category only because the SUN is in this category, thus something that produces the same photons must be included as well. Will we be banning the sun next?

    The ACS also cites the infamous 75% melanoma increase number that actually shows a 96% increase from medical use of sunbeds and a 6% increase from salon use. I hardly see how that provides justification to further regulate tanning salons. It would be interesting if somebody would actually step up and raise these issues, but unfortunately today's journalists just take what they're handed and print it.
  • PoliticalSpice
    !
    @jamesmitchell this app doesn't wk as it should. meant to vote up @jamesmitchell, posted voted up by mistake cause app ondicated i had voted up fitz, disagree with deregluate, but think tanning beds akin to tobacco, if they want to fry them selves let em, but warnings and edication should be very prominent, and they should to extent they have money saved be required to reimburse state fir cost of health care, and tanning treatments, like tobacco, should be heavilly taxed, with taxes allocated to health care cost.
  • Fitz
    !
    I disagree, government needs to be minuscule, especially in todays world with the access to information readily available. Let people live their lives not impeded by bureaucracy. The federal government is far too big and controlling.

  • View all 6 replies >

  • u
    Belin
    !
    The people already know what tanning beds can do. It's their choice.
    Thank goodness no one knew this in the past personally. My dad was one of the owners of Sun Industries, the makers of Suntana beds. I had my own, but didn't need to use it much. I was already dark complected. Mostly used it before I went to a tropical destination. It kept me from getting a sunburn. Didn't use it much for that reason either. Just enough. When I got out in the tropical sun, I would get very brown the first day, right through the sunscreen.
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    How nice for you. I, on the other hand, got sunburned one time whilst sitting in the shade, just from the sun reflecting off of a swimming pool.
  • u
    Belin
    !
    @Denizen_Kate
    I'm sorry. I got my first sunburn when I was 13. I got my second and last sunburn when my husband and I were canoeing down the Spring River. Some drunk guys hit us broadside and tumped us over, leaving a whole in the boat and one oar. We nearly drowned and lost everything we had in the boat except for the one oar. No sunscreen and no shirts to cover up with. It took forever to get back to where our car was because we had to keep getting the water out of the canoe. I had not been in a tanning bed or out in the son for quite a while because I had just given birth to our first son. I thought we would be ok because we had brought sunscreen and clothing to cover up with. I ended up in the hospital with 3rd degree burns from the sun reflecting off the water and the silver colored canoe. They put cadaver skin over my burns to try to heal them the best they could with as little scarring as possible. I've not had a sunburn since. I also never used my subbed again because I sold it while I was pregnant. Things for our baby were more important than a sun bed!
  • DerivePI
    !
    "Here at the ACA we've been doing extensive testing that shows tanning beds to be just as dangerous as mustard gas and arsenic"
    ---
    "Doctor, The people in room 1 appear OK. How come the people in rooms 2 and 3 appear dead?"
    ---
    "Ahem, they are our mustard gas and arsenic comparitive testing groups. We're working out the bugs - Now over here we have our tobacco smoking studies, which aren't nearly as bad as mustard gas and arsenic, but... "
  • u
    Realthinker
    !
    I used one once. I developed a mole on my forehead I had to have removed.
    That said, short of banning them, some people will abuse them. Lack of awareness is not the problem with tanning beds anymore than a lack of awareness exists over any other health hazard. We are so satureated with warnings over food and cigarettes and tanning we cannot escape them. October is always a source oa amusement to me with pink everywhere. Who among us over the age of ten is not "aware" of breast cancer?
    It is not the government's job to protect us from the consequences of our choices.
  • Thunderchicken
    !
    No more than the FDA should regulate my intake of tobacco. An educated consumer is the best regulation for most any product. If one is an adult and is uneducated about life's dangers, that isn't the governments concern.
  • John_Matrix
    !
    Here's an idea, how about we let people make their own goddamn choices, self destructive or otherwise. I don't need some idiot dictating whether or not I can use a tanning bed. Its common knowledge they're not good for you and anybody who doesn't know that probably has their head up their ass. I get so tired of hearing about people wanting to impose regulation after regulation on everyone simply because they think they know best, when in fact they know shit.
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    Maybe more strongly worded warning labels? I think most people know that tanning beds are bad for your skin. Tanning is bad for your skin, period, whether natural or contrived. Wish we'd known that when I was a child ...
  • NormalFlora
    !
    Under 18, definitely regulate and restrict because kids too easily choose peer pressure over common sense, and parents can't always be trusted to act in the child's best interests. But after age 18, crisp away but don't get mad when your insurance doesn't cover melanoma caused by stupidity.
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