The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should institute more controls over tanning salons and consider barring anyone younger than 18 from using them, an advisory panel urged Thursday.

The panel is calling for tighter controls on the industry such as requiring young people to get parental consent before using tanning services or instituting a minimum age for artificial tanning. A recent World Health Organization report found that people in their teens and 20s who regularly use tanning beds have a 75 per cent higher risk of developing melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. (AP)

"Given the absence of any demonstrated benefit, I think it's an obligation for us to ban artificial tanning for those under 18," said panelist Dr. Michael Olding.

The panel's recommendations come following a recent report by the World Health Organization that linked artificial tanning to skin cancer. It found that people in their teens and 20s who regularly use tanning beds have a 75 per cent higher risk of developing melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

FDA studies of tanning found that between 40 and 60 per cent of teenage girls surveyed reported that they used artificial tanning services in the year prior to the survey despite being aware of the associated cancer risks.

More than 30 U.S. states already have tanning salon regulations in place — including a handful that require parental consent — but if the FDA were to institute restrictions, they would apply nationally.

The panel recommended the FDA require bolder warning labels on tanning beds and change how they are regulated. Currently, the machines are classified as low-risk devices, in the same group as bandages and tongue depressors. By changing their classification to Class II, the FDA could limit the levels of radiation the devices emit and require other changes to their design.

The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its expert panels though it often does.

Canada examining tanning issue

In Canada, there has also been a movement to enforce tighter regulations governing teens and tanning. On March 11, 2010, Conservative MP James Bezan, who represents Selkirk-Interlake, Man., tabled a private member's bill to enhance consumer protection in the tanning industry. The bill calls for better labelling on tanning beds to educate consumers about the cancer risks of indoor tanning.

Skin cancer has been on the rise in Canada for the past 30 years. According to Health Canada, in 2005, there were roughly 78,000 new cases of basal and squamous cell carcinomas and about 4,400 new cases of malignant melanomas. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 5,000 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in 2009, and 940 died of it.

Currently, Health Canada has voluntary guidelines for tanning salons, which state children younger than 16 should not use tanning equipment. It also warns parents that teenagers should be discouraged from using tanning beds.

The agency advises consumers to limit the number of hours they spend under a tanning lamp.

"Your risk of developing skin cancer increases with accumulated exposure to UV radiation," Health Canada says on its website. "There is also scientific evidence that exposure to UV radiation weakens the immune system."

With files from the Associated Press