Tanning bed legislation and the dermatologist

Indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanning correlates with increased risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. Because of the limited scope of individual counseling by physicians and other health care providers, prevention efforts now encompass population-based interventions in the form of legislation to discourage and decrease access to indoor tanning facilities. Legislation increasingly restricts indoor UV tanning at the national, territory, state, or local level and draws attention to the complexities surrounding enforcement and infraction penalties. Further research needs to better define the effect of decreased indoor UV tanning access on skin cancer incidence.