Banning tanning booths could prevent 10 million skin cancers

A radical measure to protect our health: according to Australian research, a ban on tanning booths would prevent 10 million skin cancer in North America and Europe. Their results are published in the specialized journal JAMA Dermatology.

Carcinogenic rays

UV machines produce very strong rays, which are then projected very close to the skin. Previous research has shown that their regular use can cause burns and permanently damage the epidermis. “UV emissions from artificial tanning are carcinogenic ”, insists researcher Louisa Gordon, in an article by Daily Mail. To carry out this work, she and her team collected data from young people aged 12 to 35 living in North America or Europe. All were regular users of UV machines. In parallel, information on the number of skin cancers linked to these devices was collected.

The projection of the different data allowed them to estimate that banning these machines would reduce by 10 million the number of skin cancers in these two regions of the world, where 9.7 million skin cancers and 450,000 melanomas (a more dangerous form of cancer that spreads throughout the body) would be avoided. The measure would also be economical, their calculations estimate that it would reduce health spending by more than 5 billion euros.

ANSES in favor of the ban

UV booths are banned in three countries: Brazil, Iran and Australia. In Europe, their use has decreased by 20% since 2009, but it is constant in the United States. In January 2020, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) published a note for consumers. It alerts them to certain rules to be observed in order to avoid putting themselves in danger: do not use cosmetics at the time of exposure, do not take photosensitizing medication, do not exceed the expected exposure time or even consult a doctor. redness / blisters. In 2018, the Health Security Agency (ANSES) insisted on the risk of cancer linked to natural or artificial UV rays and expressed itself in favor of banning artificial UV rays for aesthetic purposes.

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