Tanning beds now labeled top cancer risk.

Many of you have tanned in a tanning bed or perhaps one of the stand-up contraptions. I know I certainly have. People are starting to use artificial tanning at a younger and younger age. The first time that I used a tanning bed was in college. Tanning by college students has become now more popular. Even, high school kids are now tanning.

This week cancer experts have placed artificial tanning (tanning beds, etc.) in the highest risk for cancer category along with cigarette smoking, and other poisonous substances. Now the question is: will this stop the tanning industry, Hollywood Tans, etc?…most likely not. The most we may see is bigger warning labels.

Tanning salons better be careful. Now that artificial tanning is labeled a highly hazardous activity which is a source of cancer, this opens tanning salons to major liability. Just like the tobacco industry was brought to court in the 1970′s and 1980′s, the tanning industry will be next.

A Plaintiff in a tanning case will have to prove causation. That means that he or she must prove that the skin cancer came from prolonged or even occasional artificial tanning. It may have been a little easier in the tobacco cases because the Plaintiffs had lung cancer, as opposed to skin cancer.

As generation x, y, and z or whatever they call themselves get older, I bet that you will be hearing about major artificial tanning cases nationwide.