The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has placed tanning beds at the top of their list as the highest cancer risk category. Tanning beds now rank with other carcinogens such as asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes.Studies have shown that indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than hose who have never tanned indoors. The more time a person has spent tanning indoors, the higher the odds of developing the disease.

In hopes of discouraging people from using tanning beds, starting Thursday, July 1, a new federal law will tax individuals who use tanning salons. The government warns that this is only the first step the US Food and Drug Administration is considering enacting stricter regulations on tanning beds including requiring teenagers get parental consent before using a tanning bed or even banning the use of tanning beds among teens.

Here are some teen facts:

About 35% of 17-year-old girls use tanning machines, an FDA report says. People under 30 who use tanning machines increase their risk of skin cancer by 75%, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is affiliated with the World Health Organization. That agency last July listed ultraviolet radiation-emitting beds as "carcinogenic to humans," its highest category of cancer risk.

The melanoma rate among young women nearly tripled from 1973 to 2004, a National Cancer Institute study showed.

In a statement, the Indoor Tanning Association described the panel's recommendations as "excessive" and added, "It is our sincere hope that the FDA will fully explore this issue and base any decision on sound science."

Because teens have less spending money than adults, a new 10% tax on indoor tanning — included in the health reform bill signed last week by President Obama — may make some young people think twice about tanning, says dermatologist Bruce Katz, a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation and director of the Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York. The tax, scheduled to take effect July 1, is expected to raise $2.7 billion over 10 years to help offset the costs of the bill, Katz says. "We'd like to see tanning beds banned completely, but this is a good start," Katz says.

The Federal Trade Commission also has been cracking down on the marketing of indoor tanning. In January, the agency charged the Indoor Tanning Association with making false health and safety claims in its ads. The association agreed to pull the disputed ads.

To learn more about risks of skin cancer, treatment and prevention, go to www.skincancer.org.