ITA To Run Ad Countering Media Hype For Tanning Classification

The Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) will run a full-page ad in Thursday’s edition of the New York Post condemning the hype related to the recent categorization of tanning beds as a “Group 1” carcinogen.

“The Indoor Tanning Association will not stand by and allow some members of the media to unfairly malign our product and the thousands of small business owners who are our members, by grossly exaggerating the risks associated with tanning beds,” says ITA President Dan Humiston. “Because tanning beds produce the same UV light as the sun, overexposure and abuse of our product—just like overexposure to sunlight—is associated with an increased risk for some types of skin cancer. Other items in this category are red wine and salted fish. Scientific studies suggest that drinking red wine or other alcoholic beverages carries a greater cancer risk than tanning. It is completely irresponsible to compare indoor tanning with mustard gas or arsenic as so many media reports have done.”

The text of the ad reads:

Media reports comparing indoor tanning to toxins like mustard gas, cigarettes, and arsenic are outrageously overhyped. The same “Group 1” category includes red wine, salted fish and sunlight—so these sensational headlines are as absurd as saying, “A glass of merlot is as deadly as mustard gas.”

UV light from a tanning bed is the same as UV light from the sun, which has had the “Group 1” classification since 1992. So, it’s no surprise that tanning beds have now been put in this catego¬ry as it has long been understood that overexposure to UV light, whether from the sun or a tanning bed, is associated with increased risk of some forms of cancer. And that is why the ITA has always emphasized the importance of moderation.

Don’t fall for the same old media scare tactics.

To schedule an interview, contact Allison Miller at 202.463.7112.

Note: The cost of running this full-page ad is approximately $50,000. If you would like to help defray the costs, contact the ITA at 888.377.0477. 

Source:

Indoor Tanning Association (ITA)

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