The ITA exists for the purpose of "promoting responsible sun care and sun burn prevention" in the same way Altria (aka Phillip Morris) promotes public health in third-world countries. It "represents thousands of indoor tanning manufacturers, distributors, facility owners and members from other support industries" employing "more than 160,000 people and...more than $5 billion annually..."
If you go by the ITA press release page, the "sunshine vitamin" D is a cure-all for cancer and scientists are just one short step away from endorsing indoor tanning beds as a drug delivery device. The campaign is aimed at those least likely to be deficient in vitamin D: young, caucasian female teenagers.
This week's Newsweek provides an article summarizing the ITA's fallacious assertions. The average amount of sun required by said caucasian teenagers is 5 minutes 3x week of unprotected midday (10am - 4pm) sun exposure.
Just think about trying to avoid that amount of sunlight. Researchers have found the highest incident of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise health women of the Middle East: those covered head-t0-fingertip in burkas. I'm not kidding.
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