RFK Jr. has announced the withdrawal of an FDA proposal that aimed to prohibit tanning bed usage for teens. The HHS Secretary has outlined the reason behind the decision as medical experts continue to warn about the cancer risks associated with sunlamp products.
RFK Jr. withdraws proposal to ban teens from using tanning beds
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pulled back a proposal aimed at banning teenagers from using tanning beds. The move has sparked backlash from the medical community as doctors and experts warn of cancer risks in minors caused by tanning beds.
The Health and Human Services Secretary stated that the withdrawal is based on “the scientific and technical concerns raised in the comments on the Proposed Rule, concerns regarding possible unintended consequences of certain proposals in the Proposed Rule, and potential alternatives proposed in comments received on the Proposed Rule.”
RFK Jr. announced, “FDA is withdrawing the Proposed Rule in order to reconsider the best means for addressing the issues covered by the Proposed Rule and related issues regarding access to sunlamp products.”
The Food and Drug Administration had originally proposed banning tanning beds for minors in 2015. Following the recent withdrawal of this proposal, multiple doctors and scientists have come forward to voice their concern.
Dr. Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, chair of dermatology and co-director of the Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona, said, “This is an age group that has a very hard time assessing risk. At that age, they don’t view carcinogens as a real threat.”
Additionally, the president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, Dr. Deborah S. Sarnoff, has also weighed in. “We made the public very aware of this issue, and this fight is far from over. We won’t be satisfied until tanning beds are banned in this country,” she told The Los Angeles Times.
As per the LA Times, RFK Jr.’s announcement comes amid growing support within his “Make America Healthy Again” movement for unprotected sun exposure as a wellness practice.
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
