Bill Passed Assembly, On Third Reading in Senate – American Cancer Society, Partners Urge Leadership to Bring Bill to the Senate Floor for Vote
(Albany, NY) (June 16, 2011) – More than a dozen organizations are calling on the New York State Senate to vote on legislation (S.2917, Fuschillo/A.1074, Weisenberg) to protect teens from a cancer-causing agent by prohibiting the use of indoor tanning beds by children under the age of 18. The bill passed the Assembly with overwhelming and bipartisan support. In the Senate, the bill has progressed thanks to the leadership of Senator Charles Fuschillo and is on third reading. New York can be the first state in the nation to enact this safeguard.
"This bill has gotten the stamp of approval from the necessary committees, and has advanced to the Senate floor where it’s ready to be voted on,” said Donald Distasio, CEO, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ. “This measure is supported by organizations that promote public health with missions to make New Yorkers healthy and prevent disease. The only real organized opposition to this bill is the tanning industry, whose motive is to profit from the use of indoor tanning devices by minors.”
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) places tanning beds in the highest cancer risk category - group 1 - 'carcinogenic to humans'. This puts indoor tanning in the same classification as arsenic, asbestos, benzene, dioxin, mustard gas, tobacco smoke and vinyl chloride.
Indoor tanning has grown increasingly popular among teens. According to the IARC, the use of tanning beds before the age of 30 increases the risk of melanoma 75 percent. Over a recent 30-year time span, the rates of melanoma in the U.S. increased 64 percent among white men and a shocking 153 percent among white women.
The bill has the support of more than a dozen organizations, including leaders in the medical arena such as the Medical Society of the State of New York, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, The Cancer Center Leadership Group of the New York State Cancer Consortium, the American Academy of Dermatology Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The entire list of supporters includes:
American Academy of Dermatology Association
American Academy of Pediatrics, District II
American Cancer Society of NY & NJ
Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Foundation
League of Women Voters of New York State
Medical Society of the State of New York
New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians
New York State Academy of Family Physicians
New York State Association of County Health Officials
New York State Cancer Consortium
New York State Chapter of the American College of Surgeons
New York State Nurses Association
New York State Public Health Association
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Skin Cancer Foundation
According to the American Cancer Society, this year about 68,130 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. and more than 8,700 people will die from melanoma. In New York State, it is estimated that more than 4,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin.
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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.