PTAF - Professional Tanning Action Fund

[Bob Wagner]

With more than 20 years in the indoor tanning business, I have witnessed numerous media affronts, but never have I ever seen the level of animosity aimed at the industry from the AAD and other anti-tanning entities as that which has taken form in the past few months. Although many would agree that this latest spate of acerbic rhetoric has had little acute effect on overall salon financial performance, an overriding suspicion among many of you exists that this may have merely been a testing of the waters to gauge a response.

I agree.

The most frequent question that salon owners have asked me is, “Why now, and what drives these attacks?” My belief that the timing was resultant of (1) the AAD’s “failed” mid-summer meeting with FDA’s OST, and (2) a preponderance of new, Vitamin D-related science that speaks in favor of moderate UV exposure making it into the international press of late. Faced with the possibility of trial lawyers picking up on the concept that the AAD’s two and a half decade long “Stay-Out-Of-The-Sun!!” campaign may have given rise to a new epidemic of rickets, osteomalacia, and internal cancers, it may have been that Dr. Spencer decided to darn the torpedoes and engage in a scorched earth policy so as to demonstrate his organization’s immovable and monolithic stance.

The second most frequently asked question is, “What, if anything, can be done to stop it?” Both Joe Schuster and I have, over the years, attempted to speak cordially with the AAD and academic subscribers to the contra-UV mindset, but with little success. Drs. Grant, Hollick, Garland and Cyr, all respected scientists in their various specializations, continue to be ignored and sneered at by the good doctors who, if they could, would gladly submit their offensive studies to a naziesque book-burning party. In my opinion, the only possible manner of dealing with such radicalism is to fight fire with superior firepower. Letting chips fall where they may is good if you’re a lucky person. But luck, in my opinion and according to statistics, should really be left to rabbits.

There seems to be an invariable arrogance and self-effacing nature to the vast majority of dermatologists whom we have encountered. Such party-line attitudes may be due to a hive mentality that many societal groups willingly enslave themselves to, but Joe and I feel that it has more to do with the comfort some people find in extremist dogma. Old habits are hard to break. One needn’t forget that for the first 6,000 years of human history, it was an immutable fact that the world was flat. To say or even imply otherwise meant certain chastisement. For the AAD to suddenly backtrack and force itself to admit that exposure to UV is not only beneficial, but necessary to human health would be to invite a shellacking in the press. “Sticking head in sand is easier”, insisted the caveman, as the saber-toothed tigers approached.

Now we stand here with our behinds singed, but mostly intact, hoping the asteroid won’t strike. It may, or may not. The choice is yours to make. You may either wait until February, when the season begins, to wake up to another even greater series of attacks all over CNN, or you can choose to be proactive, form a grass roots initiative, and take the fight to the source. Each industry has its detractors: Gambling and the Baptist Church, cell phones and the National Cancer Institute, snowmobile producers and the Sierra Club, etc. But each of them have a right to exist and defend themselves from unwarranted, malicious, and libelous organizations that seek to induce harm through negative press based on faulty science.

In such instances, the sharp fang of a class action defamation lawsuit, brought in Federal Court against the AAD and its willing effectuator, the Associated Press, would be an appropriate and forceful retort, and send a clear message that tanning salons will not just sit back and allow their hard work to be just washed down the drain. First out of the block would be a motion for injunction prohibiting current and future media releases, of any kind (even in the AAD website), that lambastes “Salons” or “Tanning Beds” as being directly linked to cancer. “Overexposure to UV” is fine – We’ve lived with that for years – but singling out the industry is just plain libelous.

It is for this reason that I offered to form PTAF, the Professional Tanning Action Fund, as an instrument that could be used to alleviate further sniping. I do this for purely altruistic reasons. There’s a snake in the vacant lot next door that slithered onto the front yard one day, bit a child, and then slithered back. What choice does one have in that event? Shrug it off, because the child didn’t die from the first bite, and assume it will never happen again? Or, call the local SPCA to catch it, cage it, and send it off to the zoo where the same child can safely view it from behind a half inch of acrylic glass?

I vote for the latter.

If you’re willing to join us, please contact me at aegis@amexport.com, or 1-888-765-2742. PTAF is a non-profit legal defense fund for tanning salon operators; donations to which are deductible as political contributions. We will have the web site (www.ptaf.org – or - www.professionaltanningactionfund.org) up and running soon, where account information, action process updates and the names of contributors will be posted.

[BAHAMA MAMAS]

BUMP!

[BooBop]

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[BooBop]

Print this letter and take around to your area salons. Let them in on what is happening.

As of Tues. Nov. 25th the fund is only about half way to the 10k mark to retain the lawyers for this fight.

It is in your best interest to support the cause with your donations.

Happy Thanksgiving

[BooBop]

burp

[mouthybrat]

Any idea on how soon the site will be up and running?

[pam]

I'll see what I can find out!
Pam

[mouthybrat]

Thanks!

[pam]

The site is not up yet due to computers being down in Bob's office. He says they should be up and running real soon. I am copying the letter and sending it to all salons in my area and neighboring towns. I have a copy of the letter on PTAF stationery if anyone wants it. It is important that we each impact our area with this info. This is more important than price wars and sneaking into each other's salons to check them out. This could affect the future of our industry.
Pam

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It's better to be thought an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt![ This Message was edited by: pamtannails on 2003-12-04 08:22 ]

[soapking]

where is the accountability..?? We all have an invested interest in the future of this industry. I support movements as such, and applaud Bob's efforts to stop the anti-bashing. I am prepared to send a blank check, if I knew the money would be used as intended, and promissed. What becomes of all the monies received, in the unlikely case, the lawyers do not follow thru. Who retains the money left in the account? Is there a "refund" policy to reimburse those that have contributed, or do others walk with the money?..Answers PLEASE>>>and it would be so nice to reply on ALL forums. Many I have spoken to feel as I do. They are willing to give, but fear of a 'scam'.

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[ This Message was edited by: soapking on 2003-12-04 04:34 ]