Sanitarians' work with indoor-tanning businesses: findings from interviews in two major metropolitan areas.

* Accumulating evidence points to a probable link between indoor tanning and skin cancer.

* Acute health risks from tanning devices include

-- erythema (skin burn),

-- corneal burns,

-- immunosuppression,

-- photosensitivity,

-- allergic reactions, and

-- eye infections.

* Indoor tanning is regulated at the federal, state, and local levels.

* FDA regulations primarily apply to manufacturers.

* They include requirements for

-- equipment and eyewear performance,

-- equipment labels, and

-- compatibility of lamps with equipment.

* By contrast, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) prohibits deceptive or misleading claims about the safety of indoor tanning.

* At least 27 states have indoor-tanning statutes, including Minnesota and Massachusetts.

* Previous studies have reported poor business compliance with federal and state indoor-tanning laws.

* Most indoor-tanning facilities do not effectively police themselves, especially in terms of youth access laws.

* A study was undertaken of awareness and practices among sanitarians with respect to indoor tanning.

* Interviews were conducted with sanitarians in Minnesota (the Twin Cities area) and Massachusetts (the Boston area).

* The regulations that respondents mentioned most frequently pertained to sanitation, equipment specifications, and posting of warnings.

* In Minnesota, 78 percent of respondents mentioned regulations regarding protective eyewear.

* Only 43 percent did so in Massachusetts.

* In Massachusetts, 63 percent of participants indicated familiarity with teen access provisions.

* Only 11 percent did so in Minnesota.

* The results suggest that part of the reason for poor compliance is lack of enforcement.

* Localities without ordinances are less likely to conduct regular inspections.

* They are also less likely to be aware of state regulations.

* Even when inspections are conducted, lack of training and knowledge of health risks on the part of sanitarians may detract from their effectiveness.

* There are some barriers to making work with tanning facilities a higher priority for health departments:

-- lack of state and federal support/funds,

-- lack of community awareness/support,

-- insufficient staff, and

-- inadequate training and access to health data.

* Solutions must be developed to increase the enforcement of indoor-tanning regulations.

This department, Practical Stuff! originated from you, our readers. Many of you have expressed to us that one of the main reasons you read the Journal of Environmental Health is to glean practical and useful information for your everyday work-related activities. In response to your feedback, we dedicate this section to you with salient points to remember about two to three articles in each issue.