With the weather getting warmer and swimsuit season approaching, students are lining up at the tanning beds to achieve a darker shade of skin.  But not everyone who tans understands the associated health risks, which is why the Food and Drug Administration should be applauded for suggesting that tanning regulations be tightened.

According to CNN.com, the FDA advising panel recently met to discuss banning people under 18 from using tanning beds.  Although this recommendation may seem drastic, it is a crucial step in avoiding diseases like cancer. Unlike sunlight, the ultraviolet rays emitted from tanning beds are aimed directly on the skin, causing individuals to develop skin cancer at a much faster rate.

In addition to potentially banning teens from the tanning beds, new regulations could also include visible warning labels indicating the risks of tanning, either inside the beds or in the tanning salons.  In order to make these warnings as effective as possible, the FDA is further recommending that the current low-risk classification of tanning beds be changed to Class II.  By adjusting this classification, not only would it be a more accurate representation of the kind of damage individuals are subjecting their bodies to, but it would also allow the FDA to minimize the amount of radiation that is generated through the machines.

The American Cancer Society reports that melanoma is the most fatal type of skin cancer and will claim the lives of 11,590 each year.  The World Health Organization recently listed tanning beds alongside arsenic and cigarettes. Clearly, the risks of tanning beds should not be underestimated or downplayed.

Now more than ever, skin cancer is being diagnosed in young individuals. Just as there are age limits for legally purchasing cigarettes and consuming alcohol, there should be an age limit for tanning beds.  While many are sure to be enraged if the tanning restrictions against teens are implemented, the benefits far outweigh the complaints.

For those who want to preserve their skin cells and maintain a healthy glow, there are a multitude of ways to do this without exposing your body to harmful ultraviolet rays. Spray tanning and tanning lotions are safe methods to obtain the image you want. They are also likely to be far easier on the wallet. A new law that will provide teens with the knowledge they need to be aware of health risks as well as prevent them from getting skin cancer at an earlier age is absolutely necessary, and hopefully will influence other hazardous products and activities to follow suit.