The World Health Organization has declared indoor tanning devices to be cancer-causing agents that are in the same category as tobacco. Studies have found a 75% increase in the risk of melanoma in those who have been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning.
To date, more than 30 states restrict access to indoor tanning equipment either through banning their use by minors or requiring parental consent. The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) opposes indoor tanning and supports a ban on the production and sale of indoor tanning equipment for non-medical purposes.
The AADA also supports the WHO recommendation that minors should not use indoor tanning equipment. Unless and until the FDA bans the sale and use of indoor tanning equipment for non-medical purposes, the AADA supports restrictions for indoor tanning facilities, including: No person or facility should advertise the use of any UVA or UVB tanning device using wording such as “safe,” “safe tanning,” “no harmful rays,” “no adverse effect,” or similar wording or concepts.
