Statement from Blair Horner, Vice President for Advocacy, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ, regarding a Today Show undercover sting targeting indoor tanning facilities.
“The Today Show’s sting operation revealed this morning confirms that minors must be banned from indoor tanning facilities. The Assembly recognizes the problem and approved legislation in January. The Senate's version is now ready for action, the American Cancer Society urges lawmakers to move on this bill as soon as possible.
A sting conducted by the American Cancer Society a year ago in Western New York showed similar results to the Today Show investigation. Our 14 and 15 year-old volunteers were allowed to purchase tanning services 20 percent of the time without being asked for a note from their parents. One particular Buffalo-area chain of tanning salons had a 50 percent failure rate.
The World Health Organization puts indoor tanning in the same cancer-causing category as asbestos. Kids should not be exposed to the indoor tanning carcinogen, period.
The American Cancer Society applauds the Today Show’s efforts to highlight abuses within the indoor tanning industry.”
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.