According to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the risk of developing cancer is equivalent to that of cigarettes and asbestos.
Where it used to be “probable,” today the risk is being classified more seriously — and the agency is now calling for these devices to be classified as “carcinogenic to humans.” Those who use them risk becoming bronzed and healthy cancer patients
This comes after a review of research by experts from nine countries found that the risk of skin cancer increased by 75% in those who routinely used tanning beds before the age of 30.
Eye melanoma has also been linked to the use of these devices. Skin cancer is the second most common type of cancer among females in their 20s, according to the American Skin Cancer Foundation.
Experts have noted a rise in skin cancer diagnoses, especially for young women, over the past few years.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Health found that skin cancer rates among young women in the United States nearly tripled from 1973 to 2004. Research over the past 10 years provides plenty of evidence that tanning beds, as well as direct exposure to the sun, played a role in this exponential increase.
“The use of tanning beds can be harmful to your health and we hope to encourage governments to formulate restrictions and regulations for the use of tanning beds,” said Beatrice Secretan, co-author of the report, of the Cancer Study Working Group at IARC, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 60,000 people may die worldwide from too much sun each year, and most of that number comes from malignant skin cancers.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, and tanning beds are commonly used by many, especially young people.
American expert Dr. Lynn Lichtenfeld, vice president medical for the American Cancer Society, agrees, “This new report confirms and extends the American Cancer Society’s previous recommendation that the use of tanning beds is dangerous to your health, and should be avoided.”
Many doctors see the latest report as confirmation of what they’ve long believed – overexposure to tanning beds is just as dangerous as sunbathing in natural sunlight.
The report appears in the August 2009 issue of The Lancet Oncology and also confirms that ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC) rays cause cancer in animals.
This is important because the tanning bed industry has long claimed that beds are safe because of the type of radiation they provide — more UVA than UVB. This new report tells us that all three types are dangerous.
For the tanning bed industry, the International Tanning Association (ITA) which represents indoor tanning manufacturers and others in a $5 billion annually industry, acknowledges that the UV exposure you get from a tanning bed is not visibly different from what you get from the sun.
The ITA is quick to point out that even natural exposure to sunlight has been classified as a carcinogen since 1992, sharing that category with salted fish, red wine, and beer.
From now on, the World Health Organization will restrict the use of tanning beds by those under the age of 18. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates labeling of devices while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates advertising claims made by tanning beds.
Salons are required to tell customers to wear safety goggles over their eyes, and there are warnings about aging, skin cancer, and eye injury.
Since 2007, the Food and Drug Administration has been considering making these warnings stronger, although experts would like to see laws restricting tanning bed use by minors and a black box warning to users.
In the meantime, if you choose to take a trip to the tanning salon, you’ll at least know more about the risks involved.
If you still want that glowy bronze look, consider UV-free spray tanning as an option that can give you the look instead of using a tanning bed and exposing yourself to sun-related cancer risks.