08/08/11

Important Facts About Indoor Tanning

RECENT STUDIES REVEAL IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT INDOOR TANNING:

1. The use of indoor tanning devices represents a significant and avoidable risk factor for the development of both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Other adverse effects due to indoor tanning include burns, solar skin damage, infection, and possibly also addictive behavior.

2. A person who has used tanning devices for more than 50 hours, 100 sessions, or 10 or more years is 2.5 to 3 times more likely to develop melanoma than a person who has never tanned indoors.

3. 76 percent of melanomas are attributable to ever-use (even one session) of a tanning device.

4. Use of indoor tanning in the past year was higher among girls and among the older age groups. These proportions among 14-, 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old girls were 8.5%, 13.6%, 20.9%, and 26.8% respectively.

5. The presence of state legislation restricting minors’ access to indoor tanning by requiring parental consent has limited effectiveness.