FDA Proposes New Rule to Protect Minors from Indoor Tanning

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has drafted a proposed rule which would establish device restrictions for sunlamp products, including:

  • Restricting the use of sunlamp products to individuals age 18 or older
  • Requiring prospective users to sign a risk acknowledgement certification before use
  • Requiring the provision of user manuals

Public comments on the rule can be submitted through 5 p.m., March 21, 2016. Access the FDA’s proposed rule, “General and Plastic Surgery Devices: Restricted Sale, Distribution, and Use of Sunlamp Products.”

The Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery (PAD) is calling on dermatologists and other Pennsylvania physicians to encourage the FDA to finalize its proposed rule, by submitting a comment directly to the FDA in support of the restriction.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) offers a convenient template on their website that physicians can use to contact the FDA with their comments. Take action using the template, which includes an option for you to personalize your message to explain why the issue is important to you.

Tanning Legislation in Pennsylvania

PAD, the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED), and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics worked successfully to advocate for tanning legislation in the commonwealth.

The Indoor Tanning Regulation Act (Act 41), a law to help regulate Pennsylvania’s tanning facilities and protect the state’s youth, became effective on July 7, 2014. The law bans the use of tanning facilities by minors under the age of 17 and requires parental consent for seventeen-year-olds. It also requires:

  • Tanning facilities to post warning signs on the premises, and keep records for three years
  • Customers to sign a written warning statement prior to tanning
  • Tanning devices meet federal and state standards
  • Employees of tanning facilities to have training in both the use of the devices and recognition of customer skin types.
  • Tanning facilities to annually register with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH).

“The PAD has been tirelessly fighting to protect the citizens of Pennsylvania from the dangers of indoor tanning, and our efforts have resulted in the enactment of the Indoor Tanning Regulation Act. We now have the opportunity to expand our impact to the national stage,” says Glen H. Crawford, MD, PAD president and PAMED member.