- http://abcnews.go.com/Health/safety-popular-spray-tans-question-protected/story?id=16542918
- http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/dha-health-risk-potential-lung-complications-inhailing-spray-16545191
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Gitika Ahuja, producer Mollie Riegger, associate producer Teri Whitcraft, sr. producer Melinda Arons, sr. producer Jeanmarie Condon, exec. producer Dr. Rishi Sharma, ABC medical unit resident intern Dr. Murtaza Akhtar, ABC medical unit resident intern
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
6/12/2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
By using FOIA and a considerable amount of scientific research, this ABC News investigation revealed never before known dangers of DHA, the main ingredient in the very popular spray on tan. It also prompted some of the nation’s top dermatologists and scientists to no longer recommend spray tans as the “safe” alternative to other forms of tanning. In a startling finding made only after an ABC News FOIA, we discovered some of the FDAs top scientists authored a paper which said, “New information regarding the genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of DHA has become available since the listing of DHA as a color additive.” After considerable follow-up medical research, our story would eventually put that statement into responsible context and prompt some of America’s top doctors to call for national change. With a concealed camera, we also revealed blatantly false and misleading safety information manufacturers and salons were giving to consumers, such as claiming that the DHA in spray-tan was “food grade” and approved to eat by the FDA. We prompted the powerful, billion dollar suntan industry to retract these false statements which had become repeated as talking points among salons and manufacturers alike. The industry eventually recommended national changes and reforms to how every salon provides spray on tans to consumers. We checked as recently as this week- and the reforms, which include explicit displays of safety information in salons, have indeed not only been implemented but remain in place. In addition, knowing that consumers might want to hear a lot more information about the potential dangers of inhaling DHA after watching our broadcast, we posted online a web extra – allowing people to hear in detail from one of the nation’s top pulmonary experts and toxicologists, who reviewed everything ABC News had discovered.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
We filed several FOIAs with the FDA and conducted considerable, time consuming, heavily technical medical research by gathering up medical studies from around the world on DHA, the chemical in spray on tans that eventually turns your skin brown. At times, this included asking medical libraries to help us locate copies of medical studies we discovered that had been conducted but were not easily obtainable or available through Pubmed, a clearinghouse for many medical studies. In other cases, we brought a series of peer reviewed medical studies written and published in respected journals read by toxicologists, but typically not read by experts in the field of dermatology or other areas to some of the nation’s top experts to do a comprehensive, cross disciplinary review of studies we found. Because of this review we prompted, many experts changed their position on the safety of DHA, with a panel of six experts all eventually concluding they “have concerns” after reviewing all the documents and studies.
Explain types of human sources used.
Because DHA interacts with various parts of your body in different ways (i.e., it affects the skin differently than the lungs) ABC News sought opinions from a wide range of health experts. Our goal was to inform in a reasoned manner, without alarming our audience, about a potential health risk. We did not want to stop with just “one” expert. Instead, we asked a panel of experts to review all of the documents we discovered. The panel included:
- Dr. Rey Panettieri, a toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine
- Dr. Lynne Goldman, dean of the George Washington School of Public Health.
- Dr. Darrel Rigel, a dermatologist from NYU and a former president of the three largest dermatological groups in the nation: the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Dermatological Association, and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
- Dr. Arthur Grollman, a toxicologist at Stony Brook University in New York
- various other experts, who ALL reviewed every document we FOIA-ed as well as gathered medical research
Results:
The report prompted swift, widespread, national changes to the way the industry recommends spray on tans be performed in every American salon. The industry’s main educational arm launched a national campaign to educate its salons on following FDA safety recommendations, which ABC’s undercover cameras showed were not being followed. The main new recommendations include making sure salons have protective measures in place such as breathing filters for the nose to prevent inhalation and eye guards and other protective measures to prevent DHA from being exposed to any mucous membrane during a spray on tan. The industry’s top manufacturer, Norvelle Skin Solutions, retracted misleading statements it had made to thousands of salons in its “Norvelle University” training, which previously claimed DHA was so safe it was “food grade” and approved by the FDA to eat. Nearly every salon we visited undercover said they would work to implement the FDAs safety recommendations, which were previously not followed. The CEO of the largest salon chain we visited, Beach Bum Tanning, contacted ABC News to say his company was taking swift and widespread steps to make sure consumers would be educated from now on about the FDA’s recommendations. The CEO said he has now posted a sign in all of his stores informing customers of the FDA’s recommendations. Beach Bum Tanning is also making a version of the sign available to hang on the walls in all sunless booth and airbrush rooms, recommending the use of protective gear while spray tanning. Further, a spokesman for a Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm told ABC News it also prepared an email that was to be sent out to Beach Bum’s entire customer base nationwide saying the same. In addition, Beach Bum has since posted the recommendations on its Facebook page, where it estimates thousands of people have seen it. “We, at Beach Bum Tanning, are always striving to promote both customer and employee safety in the use of both UV and spray tanning equipment,” the CEO wrote in a statement. “As products and research evolve, it sometimes becomes necessary to revise and update our policies and customer standards. Although we have always made eyewear, nose guards and lip balm available to every sunless booth and airbrush tanning customer, effective immediately we are taking the following steps to better inform our customers on the FDA guidelines: “We have already started … ” making available a copy of FDA Guidelines to all customers using sunless equipment ” posting signs in every room stating ‘As per FDA guidelines, we recommend the use of protective eyewear, nose plugs and lip balm during every sunless tanning session.’ ” updating our website to include the FDA recommendations on all pertinent pages: Sunless Booth page, Airbrush tanning page and Airbrush FAQ’s; ” retraining our staff to more actively recommend the protective gear. “We know that our actions go above and beyond the FDA recommendations,” the CEO wrote, “but we feel, in light of the unknown effects of the DHA mist, it is in everyone’s best interest to take these proactive steps.” The CEO later told ABC News he is going even further, purchasing new top-of-the-line industrial fans for his salons that will remove as much of the DHA from the air as soon as possible after application.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
Prior to broadcast, we contacted the world’s largest manufacturer of DHA to get its comment, after being referred to this corporation by the tanning industry in America. The company, Merck KaAG, cited a study by the European commission which concluded DHA was generally safe. We asked our panel of experts to review the same study prior to publishing. Dr. Panettieri of the University of Pennsylvania noted what he called an “artful” flaw: The cosmetics industry, in asking for the European review, did not have the Europeans conduct any original research. Rather, the industry itself chose the studies that would be reviewed, and left out nearly all of the peer-reviewed studies published in publicly available scientific journals that identified DHA as a potential mutagen and human health hazard. In addition, the vast majority of the studies industry did put forth for review were never peer reviewed or published. What’s more, many had been authored and performed by Merck KaAG itself, the largest manufacturer of DHA, that had a clear financial conflict of interest. The company refused to release any of its studies to ABC News for review. As a result, Dr. Arthur Grollman, a toxicologist at Stony Brook University in New York, called the European review “flawed” and “incomplete. The dean of the school of public health at George Washington University also cast doubt on the thoroughness of the review. She called on the American FDA to launch its own more detailed study, especially of the effects of DHA on the lungs if it is inhaled. ABC News openly reported all of this in detail here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/safety-popular-spray-tans-question-protected/story?id=16542918 Of note: After openly reporting this, the industry still implemented the national reforms listed above and sources tell ABC the FDA is now considering further studies and action on DHA.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
In doing any health related medical investigation, especially when it involves challenging a powerful industry, make sure you get not one but at least five medical opinions. This may take considerable time to do but it will increase the credibility of your report. Without that credibility, your research and your story may be ignored. By spending that extra time you can provide a true public service and potentially prompt widespread change.