Tanning Associations Address New Tanning Classification

The Sunbed Association (Europe) and the Indoor Tanning Association (U.S.) have responded to recent news upgrading the classification of tanning indoors from a “probable carcinogen” to a “definite cause of skin cancer.”

According to reports from MSN, Kathy Banks, chief executive of The Sunbed Association, disputed the classification of tanning beds as carcinogenic. She was quoted as saying, “The fact that is continuously ignored is that there is no proven link between the responsible use of sunbeds and skin cancer."

The Indoor Tanning Association, meanwhile, told CBS News it has "always emphasized the importance of moderation when it comes to UV light from either the sun or a tanning bed.”

In an article for Medline Plus, Dan Humiston, president of the ITA, is quoted as saying, "The fact that the IARC has put tanning bed use in the same category as sunlight is hardly newsworthy. The UV light from a tanning bed is equivalent to UV light from the sun, which has had a group 1 classification since 1992. Some other items in this category are red wine, beer and salted fish.”

Healthzone.ca reports that Steven Gilroy, executive director of the Joint Canadian Tanning Association, dismissed the international agency's report. He is quoted as saying, "When you dive into the research ... there is no increased risk."

Sources:

MSN: Study: Tanning Beds Can Be As Deadly As Arsenic

CBS News: Experts Issue Powerful Tanning Bed Warning

Medline Plus: Tanning Beds Get Highest Carcinogen Rating

Healthzone.ca: Tanning Beds Rated As Top-Tier Cancer Risk

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