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?Tanning beds are the cigarettes of our time: cancer-causing and poorly regulated.?

By Paul Napoli

January 25, 2010

That is what U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said in a press release today. She and U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) will introduce the Tanning Bed Cancer Control Act before Congress tomorrow, which will address tanning bed safety by expanding U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation over tanning beds.

'Those who use start using tanning beds before the age of 30 have a 75% higher risk of developing melanoma. Every hour, one American dies of this disease. Through education and improved regulation, we can save lives,' said Rep. Maloney.

UV emitting tanning beds are considered 'carcinogenic to humans' and placed in the same category as tobacco, asbestos and uranium as a definite cause of cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the FDA currently lists tanning beds as a Class I medical device, grouped with Band-Aids, tongue depressors, breast pumps and latex gloves, considered to pose minimal potential harm to users.

San Diego State University study of the number of tanning facilities in 116 large U.S. cities found that some cities had more tanning salons than McDonalds or Starbucks.

The legislation will ask the FDA to reexamine the classification of tanning beds to ensure that it accurately reflects their technology and associated risks, expanding federal regulation of tanning beds with the aim of limiting the amount of UV rays emitted by tanning beds and the time consumers may be exposed to harmful radiation.

U.S. Reps. Maloney and Dent, Cosmopolitan Magazine Editor-in-Chief Kate White, American Academy of Dermatology member Dr. Ellen Marmur, oncology nurse Rajni Kannan, and melanoma survivor and former Miss Maryland Brittany Lietz Cicala gathered at Cosmo headquarters to announce the legislation.

Cosmopolitan Magazine has been a longtime advocate for skin safety and recently conducted a joint undercover investigation with ABC's 20/20 in December 2009 to expose how tanning salons deceive customers about the health risks.

According to statistical information compiled by the Skin Cancer Foundation available at www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-facts:

• Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose compared to the dose they receive from sun exposure.
• Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. every year; 2.3 million of them are teens.
• On an average day, more than one million Americans use tanning salons.
• Seventy one percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women aged 16-29.
• First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent.
• People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.
• The indoor tanning industry has an annual estimated revenue of $5 billion.

Melanoma is a devastating disease that has impacted many American families, including my own. But it is also a disease that is often preventable,' said Rep. Dent. 'The World Health Organization confirms that tanning beds are a cause of cancer, and tanning bed users put themselves at a 75 percent higher risk of developing melanoma. This legislation will ensure that standards are updated to minimize risk, and that labels are positioned and worded to send a clear and prominent message about the real dangers associated with tanning.'

If you or a loved one has suffered health issues resulting from a defective or dangerous product, you may be entitled to compensation. When a product causes serious injury or death, it is important to contact a personal injury attorney who has experience in handling product liability cases. Products liability is the branch of law that deals with the liability of parties involved in the manufacturing of a product for any damages caused by the product. Call Napoli Bern Ripka LLP today at 888-529-4669 to discuss your case and determine if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on January 27, 2010 (boomark / email).