CLOSE The U.S. Surgeon General issues a report today warning Americans to protect their skin from outdoor and indoor UV light, as skin cancer cases are on the rise. 
 
 In this April 2, 2014 file photo, Teresa Lynch, owner of Dynamic Tanning in DeKalb, Ill., wipes down a tanning bed. T (Photo: Monica Maschak, AP file) 
 
 Those of you tanning or burning your skin this summer should stop — seek the shade, wear a hat and some sunscreen and, whatever you do, stay out of indoor tanning salons. It's a familiar skin-cancer prevention message, but it's coming from a new source: the office of the U.S. Surgeon General. 
 
 The call to action from acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak, released Tuesday, says that skin cancer is a "major public health problem" and that too much exposure to indoor and outdoor ultraviolet light is a major cause. It comes just two months after the Food and Drug Administration announced it will soon require labels on tanning beds and lamps warning against use by anyone younger than 18. 
 
 But more action is needed, because skin cancers in the United States, unlike many other cancers, continue to rise, the new report says. Nearly 5 million people in the United States are treated for skin cancer each year, at a cost of $8.1 billion, the report says. About 63,000 cases are the most serious kind, melanoma, and about 6,000 of those cases are directly linked to indoor tanning, the report says. 
 
 The report says ultraviolet radiation exposure from indoor tanning is "completely avoidable." 
 
 In an interview, Lushniak, who is a dermatologist, said it is time for additional states to join the several that have banned indoor tanning by minors and the 44 with some kind of restrictions. 
 
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 The report also calls for individuals — of all skin colors — to follow the usual advice for minimizing sun exposure, including using sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and shade. It also says everyone from schools to businesses to urban planners have roles to play in providing shady spaces and making it easier for people to protect themselves. 
 
 The report does not say we should all live in caves. "Enjoy the great outdoors," Lushniak says, "but take steps to protect your skin." 
 
 There's some evidence some people are listening to some of the warnings: Indoor tanning use by teens dropped in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says 12.8% of teens younger than 18 admitted to indoor tanning in 2013, down from 15.6% in 2009. 
 
 The World Health Organization called indoor tanning devices cancer-causing in 2009. 
 
 The report "is a major step forward in the fight against the epidemic of skin cancer, but the value of this step will be measured in the follow-up," says Tim Turnham, executive director of the Melanoma Research Foundation. The foundation was among several health groups, including the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Cancer Society, praising the report. 
 
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 An industry group, the Indoor Tanning Association, said in a statement that tanning critics "always exaggerate the risks of exposure to ultraviolet light in order to get the attention of the public, the media and the government." The group says ultraviolet radiation from a sunbed is no worse than that from the sun and that both are healthful in moderation, as long as skin doesn't get burned – ideas Lushniak disputed in a press conference to release the report. 
 
 "Tanned skin is damaged skin," he said. 
 
 The industry group also has said that use by teens should be up to parents, not government. 
 
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 Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced important proposed steps ‎to protect public health by preventing the use of sunlamp products (also commonly known as indoor tanning beds) by minors and reducing the risk of using these devices for adults. The FDA is committed to protecting public health by informing consumers of the risks of indoor tanning. 
 
 “Today’s action is intended to help protect young people from a known and preventable cause of skin cancer and other harms,” said acting FDA Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, M.D. “Individuals under 18 years are at greatest risk of the adverse health consequences of indoor tanning.” 
 
 Indoor tanning is a known contributor to skin cancer, including melanoma (its most deadly form), and other skin damage. Yet, 1.6 million minors indoor tan each year, increasing their risk of skin cancer and other damage (based on data in the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey). 
 
 According to the American Academy of Dermatology, those who have been exposed to radiation from indoor tanning are 59 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. 
 
 In addition, the effects of exposure to UV radiation add up over one’s lifetime. Therefore, UV radiation exposure in children and teenagers puts them at a greater risk for skin and eye damage later in life. 
 
 The FDA is issuing two proposed rules today. The first proposed rule would restrict use of sunlamp products to individuals 18 and older. In addition, before their first tanning session and every six months thereafter, adult users over age 18 would have to sign a risk acknowledgement certification that states that they have been informed of the risks to health that may result from use of sunlamp products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of more than 3,000 emergency department room visits occur for injuries related to indoor tanning each year in the U.S. (based on 2003-2012 data). 
 
 The FDA also issued a second proposed rule today that would require that sunlamp manufacturers and tanning facilities take additional measures to improve the overall safety of these devices. Specifically, some of the key proposed changes would include: 
 
 making warnings easier to read and more prominent on the device; 
 
 requiring an emergency shut off switch, or “panic button”; 
 
 improving eye safety by adding requirements that would limit the amount of light allowed through protective eyewear; 
 
 improving labeling on replacement bulbs so tanning facility operators can make sure they are using the proper replacement bulbs, reducing the risk of accidental burns; and 
 
 prohibiting dangerous device modifications, like installing stronger bulbs, without re-certifying and re-identifying the device with the FDA. 
 
 “The FDA understands that some adults may decide to continue to use sunlamp products,” continued acting FDA Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, M.D. “These proposed rules are meant to help adults make their decisions based on truthful information and to ensure manufacturers and tanning facilities take additional steps to improve the safety of these devices.” 
 
 The proposed device restriction would apply to manufacturers and tanning facility operators. There are approximately 18,000 to 19,000 indoor tanning salons and 15,000 to 20,000 other facilities, such as health clubs, spas, and other commercial establishments, that offer tanning services in the U.S. The FDA has information for consumers and businesses via the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE). Also, additional guidance and information for industry is included in the proposed rules. 
 
 The proposed restriction and updated performance standards are two of the latest steps the Department of Health and Human Services is taking to reduce the risks associated with skin cancer. In July 2014, the Office of the Surgeon General issued a Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer, which included strategies for reducing indoor tanning among minors. 
 
 The proposed rules are available online at www.regulations.gov for public comment for 90 days. 
 
 How to Comment on the Proposed Rules To comment on the Restricted Sale, Distribution, and Use of Sunlamp Products: Read the proposed rule. Starting Tuesday, December 22, submit comments on the proposed rule on Regulations.gov. Comment Now To comment on the Amendment to the Performance Standard for Sunlamp Products: Read the proposed rule. Starting Tuesday, December 22, submit comments on the proposed rule on Regulations.gov. Comment Now The comment period closes March 21, 2016. 
 
 The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. 
 
 
 
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– Your doctor, your mom, and your shade-obsessed friends have probably all told you already about the dangers of suntanning—and now the surgeon general is jumping on the anti-bronzing bandwagon for the first time. Boris Lushniak today called skin cancer a “major public health problem,” and pointed a finger at outdoor and indoor UV light, reports USA Today. His warning cites rising skin-cancer numbers as the push behind the official warning: The report says that nearly 5 million Americans are treated for the disease annually to the tune of $8.1 billion. That includes 63,000 new cases each year and 9,000 yearly deaths, reports the Washington Post. What's more, melanoma cases are increasing as other types of cancer are decreasing. The statement posted on the Department of Health and Human Services website implores people to take the usual precautions in the sun—including wearing sunglasses, a high-SPF lotion, and other protective gear—but Lushniak, a dermatologist, also places special emphasis on “completely avoidable” ultraviolet radiation exposure from indoor tanning beds and booths. The FDA piggybacked on Lushniak’s comments with its own official take today, reminding the public about its mandate for sunlamp labels “stating that they should not be used on anyone younger than 18 years.” The Indoor Tanning Association says in a statement that UV light from both the sun and sunlamps is “healthful in moderation,” as USA Today puts it, a claim that Lushniak disputes. “Tanned skin is damaged skin,” he says in the HHS statement. “We need to shatter the myth that tanned skin is a sign of health.”