For downplaying the hazards of indoor tanning, two popular tanning salon chains are being sued by Eric Schneiderman, New York State attorney general.
According to the lawsuits, Total Tan and Portofino Spas violated laws in the state against deceitful business practices when they made statements in their advertisements and on their website that indoor tanning was not only safe but it could also increase the production of vitamin D in the body and cut back risks of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Experts and health agencies have warned against indoor tanning before, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that the practice can lead to premature skin aging as well as several skin cancer types, including melanoma, the most lethal. A study also estimated last year that tanning indoors leads to about 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the country every year.
Total Tan operates 26 indoor tanning salons in upstate New York while Portofino Spas have five Portofino Sun Centers in the city. While Total Tan published a testimonial that credited one man's use of indoor tanning for treating his kidney cancer and advertised that tanning can produce 100 milk glasses-worth of vitamin D, Portofino Spas denied that there was a link between tanning and cancer, saying "some independent dermatology researchers question whether UV and melanoma are related at all."
Aside from making these claims, Portofino Spas is also in trouble for not posting signs at its locations to warn customers about indoor tanning dangers, as mandated by the laws of the state.
Tanning salons in New York have been the subject of scrutiny lately and the lawsuits against the two chains were part of a broader investigation. Last year, Schneiderman announced a settlement has been agreed upon, barring Hollywood Tans NYC from claiming that sunlight can prevent skin cancer and that the American Cancer Society has a sinister reason for not liking tanning beds.
Warning letters have also been sent to Beach Bum Tanning Salons and Planet Fitness notifying them of impending lawsuits. Beach Bum Tanning Salons have 14 locations in New York while Planet Fitness is a popular gym chain offering unlimited packages for indoor tanning to its members.
David Fisher, dermatology department chief and melanoma program director at the Harvard Medical School, had praises for the attorney general's efforts to investigate tanning salons, saying the move has a big impact on public health.
"I think this action is looking for accountability where there is so much risk to so many people," he added.
Photo: Evil Erin | Flickr
