More and more countries are placing restrictions on indoor tanning, according to a study published online in the Archives of Dermatology.
The number of countries with nationwide indoor tanning legislation restricting use by 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.
“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,” conclude researchers who were led by Mary T. Pawlak, MD, of the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora. “Additional countries and states are developing indoor tanning restrictions or making their existing legislation more restrictive.”
In the US, New York state is the most recent to join the growing ban the tan movement. New York joined other states including California, Vermont, and Rhode Island in banning most indoor tanning by minors. The New York legislation follows the implementation of a 10% federal tax on tanning consumers, which is part of Affordable Care Act. The Act also calls for increases in licensing and inspection fees for tanning facilities.
