Does The Tanning Salon Industry Lie?

A secret-shopper study by House Democratic staffers found that tanning-salon employees routinely lied about the risks of indoor tanning, and frequently provided misleading informationsuggesting that tanning had health benefits. The investigative report, commissioned by the Energy and Commerce Committee minority staff, involved interviews with 300 salons around the country. Staffers posed as 16-year-old, fair-skinned girls, and asked salons whether tanning was safe, whether it caused cancer specifically, and how often they should visit, among other questions. The study found that salons routinely gave inaccurate information, with some 90% saying that tanning posed no risks to health.  Studies have clearly shown that the risk of melanoma goes up 75% when tanning bed use begins before the age of 30.