While many people understand that tanning outside is harmful, they often mistakenly believe that tanning in a salon is a safer alternative to sunbathing. As the rate of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, grows in the United States, I introduced the Tanning Accountability and Notification (TAN) Act, which would require Food and Drug Administration to determine whether the current labeling of indoor tanning beds provides sufficient information about the risks associated with indoor tanning.
The language of the TAN Act was included in the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007, Public Law 110-85 (FDAAA), Section 230 of FDAAA. In a report submitted to Congress by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration in December 2008, FDA is considering amending the warning label requirements for sunlamp products to include specific formatting requirements to more clearly and effectively convey the risks that these devices pose for the development of irreversible damage to the eyes and skin, including skin cancer. In fact, the new label would directly state that “Ultraviolet Radiation causes: Skin Cancer.” Having this definitive statement based on scientific evidence is an important step toward reducing the risks of these devices with the end goal of reducing the rising rates of skin cancer.
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