(PRNewsChannel) / November 24, 2009 / Tampa, Fla. / Tampa dermatologist Dr. Seth Forman says there should be a law banning children under the age of 18 from using tanning beds. Now, he's offering his assistance to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in hopes of taking action against tanning bed use by minors.
“Tanning at a young age increases your skin cancer risk 75%,” says Dr. Forman. “Teens do not understand the damage they are doing to their skin. In addition to increased melanoma risk, ultraviolet light also causes premature aging.”
Forman advises against the use of tanning beds at any age but says the younger population won’t make an informed decision to stop using them without some legal restrictions in place. In a letter he drafted to Gov. Crist, Dr. Forman says legal restrictions against tobacco helped curbed underage use and the same could happen with tanning beds if a law were passed banning minors from using them in Florida.
In Howard County, Maryland a tanning bed ban recently went into effect for minors. It is the first place in the nation to do so and while Dr. Forman says it’s a good start, he thinks more needs to be done.
“Tanning bed use should be regulated like any other elective vice,” the Tampa dermatologist says. “There are laws and regulations for alcohol, tobacco and gambling. This is just as important.”
The Food and Drug Administration is meeting in March to discuss the possibility of stricter regulations on the tanning bed industry, like stronger warnings and labels.
“The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed UV light as a carcinogen since 1992,” Forman points out. “The health threat hasn’t seemed to stop most people from using tanning beds, but hopefully a ban for minors will help teens and adults realize the dangers of ultraviolet rays before it’s too late.”
To read the entire letter Dr. Forman drafted to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, please visit: http://www.prnewschannel.com/pdf/Dr_Forman_Tanning_Bed_Ban_Governor_Letter.pdf
For more information on Tampa dermatology or Dr. Seth Forman, visit his website: www.formanderm.com.
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