State should ban indoor tanning for youths

The International Tanning Association (ITA) has heavily promoted the use of indoor tanning as a safe and desirable activity.

This, in spite of the fact that recent research has shown an increase in the incidence of melanoma, an often-fatal skin cancer, by people who use indoor tanning equipment, particularly among young women who started before the age of 30. The major users of indoor tanning salons are teens and young women seeking a year-round tan,

Since other risk factors for melanoma have not changed over time, this surge in new cases among young women is attributed to the increase in tanning-related activities.

House Bill 2652 introduced by Rep. Jeannie Darneille, D-Tacoma, would ban anyone under 18 from indoor tanning unless they had a doctor’s prescription. It would also give the state Department of Health licensing and enforcement authority over the indoor tanning industry, including safety and cleanliness, reporting of injuries and posting of warnings regarding the risks of indoor tanning.

So why should the state of Washington pass an indoor tanning bill? When the ITA makes public statements, it deliberately avoids mention of melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer that kills more than 8,600 people annually in the United States – around 13 percent of the 68,000 cases diagnosed. Even when melanoma is diagnosed early, surgery is disfiguring and can be associated with complications.

The ITA’s claims have been false and misleading. Each can be proven wrong by hard data.

There is no such thing as safe tanning. The amount of ultraviolet light required to produce visible tanning exceeds the amount associated with permanent DNA damage, which may cause cancer,

UVA, which is present in tanning salon light, was previously thought to be less carcinogenic than UVB. But we now know that it is also harmful and is much more difficult to measure and regulate. The World Health Organization has classified UV radiation as a known carcinogen, the same category as cigarettes.

Also frightening is the recent finding that frequent tanning induces the production of chemicals such as endorphins, which are associated with a sense of well- being. These same endorphins are also characteristic of substance dependency and other addictive behaviors like gambling and extreme athleticism.

Is it possible to alter these destructive patterns of a greedy industry and a culture that associates golden-brown skin with beauty, popularity and improved health? The introduction and passage of indoor tanning bills restricting minors’ use, many of them spearheaded by groups like AIM at Melanoma (www.AIMatMelanoma.org) have certainly begun to make an impact.

Legislation to restrict the use of indoor tanning by those under 18 in Washington state must be approved now. Success in this effort will prove that public awareness and efforts to protect young Americans from an industry that preys on their vulnerability can save lives, starting now.

Dr. Kim Margolin is a professor at the University of Washington and a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

references : http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/regionalvoices/story/1065623.html