Increase in Restrictions on Indoor Tanning in Several Countries: Study

According to a study restrictions on indoor tanning, which studies suggest is linked to skin cancer, appear to have increased in several countries since 2003. The study was published online First by Archives of Dermatology, a JAMA Network publication.

The number of countries with nationwide indoor tanning legislation restricting young people 18 years or younger increased from two countries (France and Brazil) in 2003 to 11 countries in 2011. The 11 countries were France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Brazil, according to the results.

Youth Access To Dangerous Indoor Tanning Free and Unrestricted
Many indoor tanning businesses require parental consent for teenagers to use their facilities, but most would allow young tanners more than the government-recommended amount of exposure

Mary T. Pawlak, M.D., of the Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, and colleagues conducted a web-based Internet search of access to indoor tanning and compiled the legislation.

"Since 2003, youth access to indoor tanning has become increasingly restricted throughout the world as accumulating evidence demonstrated an association between melanoma and indoor tanning. Additional countries and states are developing indoor tanning restrictions or making their existing legislation more restrictive," the authors comment.

"Indoor tanning legislation is constantly evolving, and the National Conference of State Legislatures provides an updated web registry of indoor tanning legislation in the United States. We recommend a similar web registry for legislation throughout the world," the authors conclude.

NSW Bans Tanning Salons from 2014
New South Wales will be the only place in the world besides Brazil to issue a total ban on ultraviolet solariums tanning units.

(Arch Dermatol. Published online June 18, 2012. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2012.2080. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Editor's Note: One author disclosed support from a grant. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

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Commentary: Post-California Tanning Ban

In a commentary, Lucy L. Chen, B.A., and Steven Q. Wang, M.D., of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, write: "Ideally, a ruling at the federal level to restrict tanning will have the most far-reaching impact. However, in the absence of a complete ban in the near future, other strategies to limit UV exposure to minors can be promoted."

Ban Unsupervised Tanning Salons, Welsh Government Advised
The National Assembly for Wales' Health, Well-being and Local Government Committee have advised the government to ban unsupervised tanning salons.

"As dermatologists, we can play many unique roles in this ongoing health campaign. On a daily basis, dermatologists can educate and discourage patients, especially teenagers, from using tanning beds," they continue.

"On a legislative level, we can provide testimony as health experts and serve as advocates for key legislation in our individual states," they conclude.

Source-Eurekalert