The FDA is proposing an indoor tanning ban for teens under age 18, citing cancer risks. (Photo: for USA TODAY) 
 
 Tanning beds will be off limits for teenagers and children if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its way. 
 
 Proposed regulations made public Friday by the FDA would ban children under 18 from patronizing indoor tanning facilities and would require adult customers to sign strongly-worded new consent forms every six months.The FDA says tanning beds and sun lamps can cause skin cancer, burns and eye damage. 
 
 The public has 90 days to comment on the new rules. After that, the FDA could make them official. 
 
 "Today's action is intended to help protect young people from a known and preventable cause of skin cancer and other harms," acting FDA Commissioner Stephen Ostroff said in a statement. "Individuals under 18 years are at greatest risk of the adverse health consequences of indoor tanning." 
 
 The proposed regulations also require new safety features, including easier-to-read warnings and emergency shut-off "panic buttons." 
 
 Medical groups immediately applauded the aggressive moves, which come about 18 months after the FDA put new warning labels on the devices used by millions of people each year at tens of thousands of tanning salons, health clubs and other facilities. About 1.6 million of those users are minors, FDA said. 
 
 Indoor tanners are 59% more likely than non-users to develop melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. 
 
 The proposed rules are "a monumental step to protect the public's health," said academy president Mark Lebwohl. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network said the changes would reduce skin cancer cases and save lives. The American Academy of Pediatrics said the proposal "sends a loud and clear message: tanning beds are dangerous and should not be used by anyone under age 18." 
 
 "Fifteen or 20 years ago, it was very unusual to see someone their 30s with a melanoma, and now we constantly see women in their late teens and 20s with melanoma and almost all of them have an extensive tanning bed history," said Darrell Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University. The tanning ban on minors could prevent many such cases in the future, he said. 
 
 "This is a free country, so as an adult, you can make these decisions, just as you can choose to smoke," Rigel said. "But minors need to be protected." 
 
 Eleven states and Washington, D.C., already ban indoor tanning by minors, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 
 
 The Indoor Tanning Association, representing many tanning bed manufacturers and salon owners, said in a statement that the proposed rules are unneeded: "The indoor tanning industry is heavily regulated at both the federal and state levels and our customers are well aware of the potential risks of over exposure." The group said that "the decision regarding whether or not a teen suntans, whether indoors or outside, is a decision for his/her parents, not the government." 
 
 Another industry group, The American Suntanning Association, said requiring adults to sign a form acknowledging the risks of tanning every six months “smacks of both government overreach and harassment.” It also said many of the proposed safety standards for tanning equipment already are in place or endorsed by the industry. 
 
 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1lWw2g4 ||||| The Food and Drug Administration proposed unprecedented new rules Friday that would bar anyone under 18 from using a sunlamp or indoor tanning device. 
 
 The proposed new rules also would require anyone over 18 who uses a tanning salon or other product to sign a certification saying they understand the risks — which include skin cancer and severe burns. 
 
 And the FDA, which regulates the tanning beds and sunlamps as medical devices, said it would force manufacturers to make already required warning labels more prominent, add a "panic" button to turn the lamp off, and make other safety modifications. 
 
 Facebook 
 
 Twitter 
 
 Google Plus 
 
 Embed 0:42 autoplay autoplay Copy this code to your website or blog 
 
 Too many people still believe that indoor tanning is somehow safer than being out in the sun. It isn't, said Dr. Vasum Peiris, chief medical officer in the FDA's division that regulates medical devices for children. 
 
 "Indoor tanning is designed to deliver large amounts of UV (ultraviolet) radiation in a short time," Peiris told reporters. 
 
 Some of the lamps can deliver 10 to 15 times the intensity of the midday sun, he said. 
 
 "The FDA's long-awaited tanning device proposals are an important step that will help to reduce skin cancer diagnoses and deaths," the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, which advocates in Washington on health issues, said in a statement. 
 
 "Once it spreads, almost nothing works...I know I'm looking at a virtual death sentence." 
 
 "We commend the FDA for educating the public about the dangers of exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation and restricting use for our nation's youth. Indoor tanning devices are not safe." 
 
 The FDA has been gradually ratcheting up the warnings on tanning beds and lamps. They must already carry a "black-box" warning saying they should not be used by people under 18. 
 
 The Indoor Tanning Association, which does not conduct its own research into the health effects of tanning, told the Associated Press that decisions about tanning should be left to parents, not the government. 
 
 "We are concerned that the proposed requirements will burden our members with additional unnecessary governmental costs in an already difficult economic climate," the group representing makers of tanning beds told the AP. 
 
 Peiris said the FDA has not made final decisions on how it would enforce the rules. The agency can seize products that don't meet standards, and can also work with the Justice Department, state and local government and other agencies to bring civil and criminal charges against repeat offenders. 
 
 "The FDA understands that some adults may decide to continue to use sunlamp products," continued acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff. 
 
 "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." 
 
 Tanning beds send hundreds of Americans to emergency rooms each year with burns, including to their eyes. 
 
 And melanoma rates are up by 200 percent since 1973. Melanoma kills 10,000 Americans a year. 
 
 "The risk of developing melanoma increases by 59 percent for individuals who have been exposed to UV (ultraviolet) radiation from indoor tanning, and the risk increases with each use," the American Academy of Dermatology said in welcoming the proposed rules. 
 
 "Once it spreads, almost nothing works," Dr. Darrell Rigel of the New York University Medical Center and a member of the Academy, told NBC News. 
 
 "A melanoma the size of a dime on your skin has a 50 percent chance of having already spread. We have these women who come in who've got a melanoma that big and feel perfectly fine, but I know I'm looking at a virtual death sentence." 
 
 And it's affecting young women the most. 
 
 "Nearly 70 percent of tanning salon patrons are Caucasian girls and young women, and melanoma is increasing faster in young women 15-29 years old than in young men of the same age," the Academy said. 
 
 "Indoor tanning is a known contributor to skin cancer, including melanoma." 
 
 About 4 percent of adults use tanning beds, but they're popular among college students. 
 
 "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," the FDA said. 
 
 Skin cancer takes time to develop, and the younger a person is when exposed to damaging UV light, the more time there is for tumors to grow. 
 
 The public has 90 days to comment on the proposals, which FDA says apply to manufacturers of sunlamps and tanning beds and to 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 said. 
 
 Thirteen states and Washington, D.C. already ban minors from using tanning salons and booths. ||||| Español 
 
 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. 
 
 
 
 ###
– Minors hoping to get their tan on will have to choose the kind that comes in a bottle or get their rays from the sun, according to proposed rules from the FDA. Outlined Friday, the rules would bar those under 18 from using a sunlamp or indoor tanning device, reports NBC News, which calls the rules "unprecedented." Adult users would need to sign what USA Today calls a "strongly worded" document acknowledging the risks of tanning, including skin cancer, before using indoor tanning devices, which the FDA wants modified to include a "panic" off switch and larger warning labels. Doctors and cancer researchers are celebrating the move, per USA Today. The public has 90 days to comment. (Tanning beds send thousands to the ER each year.)