RFK Jr. Wants Teens To Be Able To Use Tanning Beds — And The Logic Behind It Is Bonkers

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to make America’s teens tan again.

To the dismay of dermatologists, Kennedy abruptly withdrew a proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule in March that would have banned minors from using indoor tanning beds.

Nearly a dozen states ― including California, Illinois, Minnesota, as well as Washington, D.C. ― already ban the use of tanning beds for minors. Several other states ― Kentucky, Idaho, Indiana and Michigan ― require written consent from a parent or guardian.

The federal rule, first proposed in 2015, would have required anyone over 18 who goes to a tanning salon to sign a waiver acknowledging the risks, including skin cancer, severe burns, and other early skin aging.

“As a dermatologist, this decision is deeply disappointing and frankly dangerous,” said Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist, professor and researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.