New law for tanning bed warnings

Tanning beds are just as dangerous as tanning in the sun, and the government wants customers to know that.
A new law signed last week will require the Food and Drug Administration to examine and evaluate warning labels on tanning beds for their effectiveness.
Congressmember Carolyn B. Maloney’s “Tanning and Accountability Act” is the basis of the law, which is a provision of the drug safety legislation.
“The warnings on tanning beds should clearly get the message across, just like the warnings on cigarette packs do. I have heard from tanning bed users who were unaware of the serious cancer risks, which is why I believe the current warning is not doing its job. Using a tanning bed is not safer than tanning under the sun, and Americans need to be fully informed,” Maloney said.
Legislation already required tanning beds to post labels warning customers of the cancer risks, however, there were no requirements regarding the placement or wording of the warnings.
Under the Tanning Act provision, The FDA will be required to re-examine labels on tanning beds, ensuring that they are visible and efficiently explain the risks of skin cancer.
The FDA will talk to customers and conduct surveys to determine if they saw the warnings and understood the risks. The legislation intends to determine if the current regulations are doing enough, or if further legislation is required.
There is a deadline of one year for the FDA to conduct the tests and report the results to congress.
The American Cancer Society estimates that one American citizen dies nearly every hour from melanoma. They estimate that more than 1 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancers this year because of exposure to ultra-violet rays.