Development of U.S. Indoor Tanning Policy

Healthcare providers and public health advocates are celebrating a step forward in the campaign to address the exponential growth in tanning bed use, which has been linked to significantly increased rates of skin cancer, including melanoma. The levying of a 10% tax on indoor tanning was a significant addition to the recent healthcare reform bill, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. The tax is a significant step taken in response to the unified voices of countless concerned healthcare providers and advocates. It paves the way for further artificial tanning regulation. To fully appreciate this public health accomplishment, it is helpful to place this historic legislation in the context of the development of the U.S. health policy relating to indoor tanning.