Boarding Schools for Girls

A new study has revealed that the majority of tanning salons appear to be ignoring advice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding teen use of tanning beds. Though these business are not violating any laws, a Sept. 21 article by Jennifer Warner of WebMD Health News indicates that they may be putting young girls at increased risk for skin cancer:

The FDA recommends but does not require that indoor tanning bed operators limit teens to three or fewer tanning bed session in the first week. But researchers found only about 11 percent did so, and 71 percent of tanning bed operators said they would allow a teen to tan seven days a week.

"Exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning lamps has been linked with both melanoma and squamous cell cancer, and first exposure before age 35 years may increase melanoma risk by as much as 75 percent," write researcher Latrice C. Pichon, PhD, MPH, of San Diego State University and colleagues in the Archives of Dermatology.

Researchers say the popularity of indoor tanning with adolescent girls in recent years may also be behind a recent increase in melanoma rates among U.S. women aged 15-39.

Labels: health, tanning, cancer

Posted By: Aspen/CRC