An investigative report by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee has found that few tanning salons disclose the truth about the health risks of tanning to their customers.
According to ABC News, committee investigators posed as young teenage girls and contacted 300 tanning salons. Ninety-percent of the salons they contacted told them that tanning posed no health risks, while more than 50 percent of the salons denied that tanning led to an increased risk of skin cancer. More than 75 percent of the tanning salons said that tanning was beneficial to a teen girl’s health and do things such as induce vitamin D production, treat depression, and help with weight loss and cellulite.
Many salon employees also downplayed the risks of the serious skin disease melanoma that are also associated with tanning bed use.
Medical research has found that tanning is indeed a cause of skin cancer and the World Health Organization (WHO) has graded tanning beds as a “Group 1” carcinogen, ABC News reported.
So far a number of counties - including Britain, France, Brazil and Spain - have enacted stricter rules for tanning salons. WHO has recommended that countries adopt stricter legislation that would prevent the use of tanning beds for teens under the age of 18.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous product, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to learn about your options.