FDA Considers Update for Tanning Bed Labels

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) responded today to findings by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Tanning Accountability and Notification (TAN) Act report (1-year update). As part of the more comprehensive FDA Amendments Act of 2007 (H.R. 3580), the TAN Act required the FDA to submit a report to Congress about the effectiveness of the current labeling requirements for indoor tanning devices.

"We are pleased the FDA was not fooled by recent propaganda encouraging the public to soak up ultraviolet light several times a week because its so-called health benefits," said Dr. David E. Fisher, chief of dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the MRF Scientific Advisory Committee. "Instead, the FDA continues to focus on what the science clearly tell us-UV exposure can cause skin cancer, including melanoma. We encourage the FDA to act on the report's findings and amend the current labeling requirements so tanning customers clearly understand that indoor tanning represents one of the most striking examples of an avoidable cause of lethal cancers."