The Dangers of Tanning Beds, the Tanning Tax, and Health Care Reform

According to the recently signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, beginning July 1, 2010 tanning bed users will be charged a 10% tax on fees for the use of indoor tanning services. The tax only applies to the use of products that tan with ultraviolet lights, not to services such as spray tans or lotions. Tanning salon owners and users of these services are obviously not pleased with the notion of paying an extra fee to get bronzed. Nearly 30 million people in America tan in salons annually, and over 70% of those customers are women between the ages of 16 and 49, according to Dr. Hema Sundaram.

On the other side, many people and organizations support the tax, feeling that it may be a deterrent to the use of tanning beds and cut down on future money spent to treat skin cancer as well as save lives. William D. James, MD, President of The American Academy of Dermatology, is one medical professional that has issued a statement in support of the tanning tax, backed up with statistics that illustrate the dangers of tanning underneath artificial UV bulbs. According to Dr. James, a person's risk of melanoma increases by 75% if you use tanning beds before the age of 35. Research published in the Lancet Oncology medical journal in 2009 listed the use of tanning beds as a definite carcinogen, sparking cancer experts worldwide to deem tanning beds as one of the top risk factors for developing skin cancer. Researchers at Dartmouth also published studies that people who used tanning beds have higher chances of developing other cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

The increased risk of cancer is not the only negative effect of using tanning beds. Tanning, whether natural or indoor, causes premature wrinkling of the skin because of the loss of skin elasticity. While you may look nice and bronzed right now, years down the road you could end up looking leathery and wrinkled, and while everyone ages, the effects could have been lessened by avoiding overexposure to sun lamps or sun in general. The UVA and UVB rays given off by tanning beds can cause photokeratitis, which is when the eye's cornea is burned. This condition can cause pain, redness, and temporary vision loss and is most commonly connected to improper use of safety goggles in the tanning bed.

The increasing popularity of tanning salons is an indication that the risk factors of cancer, premature aging, and eye damage have not kept people from baking in tanning beds. Only time will tell if the tax has an impact on tanning bed use and if this proactive measure will be effective in reducing future cases of skin cancer.

Sources:
Dermadoctor
Indoor Tanning: The Risks of Ultraviolet Rays, FDA
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Implementation Timeline
Prevent Blindness America
Statement from the American Academy of Dermatology on the Indoor Tanning Tax, PR Newswire
Tanning Beds Now Listed Among Top Cancer Risks, Steve Levin, USA Today
The Dangers of Tanning Beds, Dr. Hema Sundaram, Health Central