Maloney applauds Surgeon General’s call to action on skin cancer

Jul 29, 2014
Press Release
Congresswoman reiterates call for FDA to ban tanning bed use by minors

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) today applauded the Surgeon General’s call to action on skin cancer. Last year, Maloney established the bipartisan Congressional Skin Cancer Caucus. Maloney also succeeded in passing legislation in 2007 which led to the Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to reclassify UV tanning lamps as Class II medical devices, necessitating warning labels indicating the products should not be used by those under 18 years old. Earlier this year, Maloney called for the FDA to ban tanning bed use by minors. She released the following statement:

“Tanning beds are cancer coffins, but one in three teenage girls still use them. As a result, skin cancers are now the second most common form of cancer among young women. I applaud the Surgeon General for helping to raise awareness about the risks of tanning bed use and for seeking better enforcement of tanning regulations. I believe the federal government can do more to prevent the hundreds of thousands of skin cancer cases attributable to indoor tanning. 

“Every tanning bed will soon have a warning label that says it should not be used by those under 18 years old. If it’s not safe, why do we allow it at all? I’ve met too many young women who have stage 3 melanomas. They were told these machines would help them look and feel healthy, but they were really greatly increasing their risk of cancer. We ban cigarettes for those under 18. We ought to ban these devices too.”