Days before the 2024 presidential election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., then a candidate and now Health and Human Services Secretary, posted a statement on X vowing to end the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 'aggressive suppression' of indoor tanning and other alternative therapies. The post, dated November 3, 2024, praised tanning beds for their vitamin D benefits and criticized FDA regulations as 'overreach.'
Dermatologists quickly condemned the statement, citing decades of research linking indoor tanning to increased skin cancer risk, including melanoma. The American Academy of Dermatology has long warned that tanning beds emit UV radiation classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
As of May 2026, no official policy change has been announced by HHS. The FDA continues to require warning labels on tanning devices and restricts their use by minors in many states. Kennedy's post remains on X, drawing mixed reactions from public health experts and industry advocates.
