Ban of Indoor Tanning for Children Under 18 Proposed
By: CPR @ Jan 13, 2016
Indoor tanning is known to be one of the most dangerous things a person can do for their health. To be sure, the American Academy of Dermatology reports that a person’s risk of developing melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer—increases by 59 percent due to the use of indoor tanning beds. In response to this knowledge, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed a ban on indoor tanning for all persons under the age of 18.
The Risks of Tanning Beds
Data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that each and every year, approximately 400,000 new cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning beds, and that 6,000 of these new cases involve melanoma. In fact, melanoma is one of the few cancers in the United States of which the rates of new cases are actually increasing; most other cancers are on the decline, or have stagnated. The rates of melanoma, on the other hand, continue to rise by about three percent each year. For the most advanced state of melanoma, the 10-year survival rate is only 10 to 15 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.
The Prevalence of Indoor Tanning Beds
Despite the risks of indoor tanning beds, people—young and old alike—continue to use them. According to a 2014 study published by the University of Miami and reported on by an article in The New York Times, there are more tanning salons in the state of Florida than there are McDonalds, CVS stores, or Bank of America branches. In fact, there are approximately 19,000 indoor tanning facilities in the U.S., with an estimated 20,000 more tanning beds available in other facilities, such as gyms.
Approximately 33 percent of people in the United States, most of them women, have reported using a tanning bed at some point. And while the number of people under 18 who use tanning beds is on the decline, about 1.6 % of minors continue to use indoor tanning beds on a regular basis.
The FDA’s Proposed Rule
The proposal from the FDA would change all that. No longer would minors be allowed to use indoor tanning beds, and adults wanting to tan would be required to sign a form stating that they are aware of the risks associated with indoor tanning.
Dangerous Products – Who Is Liable?
The risks of using a tanning bed today are well known, but they were not always so widely publicized. If you have developed skin cancer and believe it is due to your use of a tanning bed, you may have a claim against the tanning bed manufacturer or facility where you tanned.
The skilled New Jersey and Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. can help you to explore your financial recovery options if you have been diagnosed with skin cancer after using a tanning bed. To learn more, call us today to schedule a free case consultation at (215) 567-3500.
