tanTALK - View Single Post

Don Smith · 07-27-2007, 08:43 AM

"The new 0.3 W/m² directive isn't all that bad."

Not if you are a sunlamp manufacturer or distributor. For salon owners who are out where the rubber meets the road, the MEIL directive is an unmitigated disaster!

"Many of the new 160W lamps developed can produce great color in 12-15 minutes."

I hope you aren't implying that the new lamps will have as much tanning power in 12 minutes as the old lamps. A study of 20 common LP and HID/hp lamps showed that the average "effective" W/m^2 was 0.562 and reducing the "output" to 0.3 is not a step that will benefit the European indoor tanning industry.

And I certainly hope you don't think that the new lamps will have the same number of vitamin D-effective photons.

"There is no after market enforcement in many of the countries. So basically you can still buy a bed & just pull the lamps & put in what you want."

Let's hope and pray that this - ignore the regs - advice that is being given by manufacturers/distributors in Europe isn't being followed by salon owners. The first article I posted shows that the anti-tanning coalition are now and will continue to be conducting surveys to monitor compliance and if European salons are following this advice, their "image" will be tarnished beyond repair (and will result in more regulations and enforcement).

In summary, the 0.3 W/m^2 will result in a short term gain for sunlamp/sunbed manufacturers and distributors and a long term loss for the European indoor tanning industry. Let's hope that salon owners here in the USA will realize the folly of letting the manufacturers represent the industry at regulatory meetings. If we do, we will find ourselves in the same position - screwed - as salon owners are now in Europe.

The "bottom line" is that the 0.3 W/m^2 MEIL was a huge "win" for the anti-tanning coalition and no amount of "spinning" by the manufacturers/distributors will change that sad fact of life.

07-27-2007, 08:43 AM	#10 (permalink)
Don Smith Join Date: Feb 25 2000 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 1,597 Rep Power: 10	Re: Coming to America? "The new 0.3 W/m² directive isn't all that bad." Not if you are a sunlamp manufacturer or distributor. For salon owners who are out where the rubber meets the road, the MEIL directive is an unmitigated disaster! "Many of the new 160W lamps developed can produce great color in 12-15 minutes." I hope you aren't implying that the new lamps will have as much tanning power in 12 minutes as the old lamps. A study of 20 common LP and HID/hp lamps showed that the average "effective" W/m^2 was 0.562 and reducing the "output" to 0.3 is not a step that will benefit the European indoor tanning industry. And I certainly hope you don't think that the new lamps will have the same number of vitamin D-effective photons. "There is no after market enforcement in many of the countries. So basically you can still buy a bed & just pull the lamps & put in what you want." Let's hope and pray that this - ignore the regs - advice that is being given by manufacturers/distributors in Europe isn't being followed by salon owners. The first article I posted shows that the anti-tanning coalition are now and will continue to be conducting surveys to monitor compliance and if European salons are following this advice, their "image" will be tarnished beyond repair (and will result in more regulations and enforcement). In summary, the 0.3 W/m^2 will result in a short term gain for sunlamp/sunbed manufacturers and distributors and a long term loss for the European indoor tanning industry. Let's hope that salon owners here in the USA will realize the folly of letting the manufacturers represent the industry at regulatory meetings. If we do, we will find ourselves in the same position - screwed - as salon owners are now in Europe. The "bottom line" is that the 0.3 W/m^2 MEIL was a huge "win" for the anti-tanning coalition and no amount of "spinning" by the manufacturers/distributors will change that sad fact of life.