July 29, 2009

International cancer experts have confirmed what Westchester County government concluded in 2006: the use of tanning beds causes cancer.

Three years after the county government enacted a law restricting the use by teenagers of tanning beds, the International Agency for Research on Cancer Tuesday called UV tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation as harmful as arsenic, mustard gas and plutonium. The agency put tanning beds into the top tier of cancer risks (“carcinogenic to humans”), removing any ambiguity about their threat.

“This news demonstrates that Westchester County was right when it took the lead to protect our young people from their own impulse to sacrifice their health for the sake of a tan," said County Executive Andy Spano. “I remind parents to talk to their teens about this – and I remind people of all ages that they should think twice before using a tanning bed. The skin cancer concern applies to people of all ages, particularly people under 30.”

County Legislator Martin Rogowsky, who drafted the county’s 2006 law, said, “The research and testimony by health experts presented overwhelming evidence to support imposing the restrictions. The cost of indoor tanning is too high to treat as casually as it’s been treated. It’s not just a personal care treatment, like a manicure or a facial. This activity is dangerous – indoor tanning certainly is contributing to the fact that melanoma is the most common form of cancer in people aged 25-29.”

The county law, in effect since June 12, 2006, bars people age 16 and under from using tanning beds. The law also requires written parental permission to be given in person for 16- and 17-year-olds who want to use a tanning bed. Tanning salons also must post warning signs and provide educational information to all prospective customers.

Dr. Amy Newburger, a Scarsdale dermatologist who testified at hearings about the law in 2006, said Wednesday, “I was delighted with the intelligence and responsiveness of our government officials in dealing with this serious public health risk. Malignant melanoma is still the most rapidly rising malignancy of any type.”

The move by the International Agency for Research on Cancer was made based on a thorough review of studies that found the risk of skin cancer increases by 75 percent when the use of tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation starts before age 30. Until now, the beds and ultraviolet radiation have been considered “probably carcinogenic to humans.”