Shallow Reasoning
It's no secret; I am very pale. When I was a teenager and into my early twenties I spent some time in a tanning bed. It started with my junior prom. I wanted a bit of color on my arms and shoulders when I wore my hot pink and black strapless number.
My youthful rationale in continuing into my college years was that at least I wouldn't be the color of a corpse when it was time to put on a swimsuit, and perhaps, I wouldn't burn so quickly out in the sun.
Altogether, I went only a handful of times in the late spring for about four years. Not that it matters, statistics and studies show that my chance of skin cancer is dramatically higher for having done this, especially since I did so before the age of 30.
I was not concerned about skin cancer or wrinkles or creases or spots or aging. It was the here and now I was thinking about; watching the skin beneath the little heart-shaped sticker I affixed to my hip during the tanning sessions look less and less like my true shade.
Honestly, I never got very tan in my short stints in the tanning booth. I doubt others even realized that I was tanning, but that's not the point. Damage could still be done.
I soon changed my ways, wearing hats and sunscreen and taking care of the porcelain shell.
Well, Texas now has a law, in effect since September of 2013, banning minors from using tanning devices. So, I would have been stopped from adding color to my shoulders for junior and senior prom. I am sure there were a number of teenage girls in Texas who took an interest in new state laws for the first time last August.
Money Talks
I found a list of 2013 legislation on the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) website listing the results of such legislation. The list contained legislation from 30 states, many of them were noted to have died in committee.
Who knew there was such an association, which must have some kind of influence, considering that 25 bills died in committee or were defeated or vetoed (note some states had multiple bills).
In fact, only 7 bills pertaining to limiting or banning minors from using tanning devices were passed and enacted into law in 2013.
Minor Restrictions
Now, I am not one who likes to limit choices, but when it comes to protecting our minors I think the adults should take a firm stance. Seriously, we are talking about the right to get a tan in a box emitting dangerous UV rays; an action that could lead to skin cancer and will most definitely lead to skin damage.
We know a lot more about the risks and hazards of using tanning devices than we did 22 years ago. If I had known all the risks, as a 17 year old, I probably still would have tanned for a few months, but I doubt my mother would have allowed me to do so, with a full understanding of the future repercussions.
Teenagers are much more likely to take risks that could occur in the future than an adult who can fully appreciate the risks of cancer and the advantages of having healthy skin for many years.
So, why shouldn't we limit the ages of who can enter these coffin-shaped boxes of blindingly bright, damaging light?
More than likely the answer comes down to revenue. For the most part, it's the young and beautiful and skinny who plan to don cute, short dresses for school dances and parties and bare {almost} all in itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie yellow polka-dot bikinis who clamor to the tanning salons. Those youngsters can spend a lot of mom's and dad's money getting toasty. And those same 16, 17 and 18 year olds will more than likely continue to use these facilities as 19, 20, 21 year-olds too.
So, enter the ITA lobbyists. Clearly, they were effective.
Putting Their Future at Risk
And yet, in the end, what it comes down to is parents being educated and teaching their kids the risks of getting tanned and burned, whether it's from the sun or from artificial means. Regardless of the laws, parents should refuse to allow their minors to use tanning devices.
But is it really such a big deal; letting your 17 year-old spend a few weeks sunning in the ultraviolet rays of a tanning bed?
Well, consider this:
"The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization, report cited research showing that tanning is especially hazardous to young people; those who use sunbeds before age 30 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent. The authors also pointed to studies showing a link between UV radiation from indoor tanning devices and melanomas of the skin and eyes. Melanoma will kill an estimated 8,650 people in the US this year alone. And melanoma isn't the only problem: people who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma kills an estimated 2,500 Americans a year."
From skincancer.org
Pretty frightening stuff, no?
Now this report indicates that the IARC has recently added ultraviolet (UV) radiation-emitting tanning devices, including tanning beds and lamps, to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. Interestingly, other hazardous entries on this list include plutonium and certain types of radium, as well as radiation from the sun.
As I was writing this post, I accidentally stumbled upon a blog post from City Pages regarding Minnesota 11th graders and the rate at which they are using tanning beds. It is actually quite shocking.
In the land of snow and negative temps, 34% of white 11th graders admit to using tanning beds, even during the winter months; looking at 17 year-old girls across the country that percentage is even higher at 39.3%. These findings come from the Minnesota Student Survey. This was the first year this survey, targeting teens in Minnesota, asked about tanning habits. These questions were added after noticing the rate of melanoma among young women has been increasing about 5% every year for the past 15 years; an alarming rate.
The Scoop
We protect our minors against the harmful of effects of using tobacco and alcohol. We allow minors to operate vehicles, but put limits and restrictions on right.
So, why not regulate minors' participation in an activity that can cause disease and even death?
Adults get to have that prerogative to choose substances and actions that could be dangerous to their own health, but minors should not be given that choice.
We don't even trust minors to vote.
Note: If you have used tanning devices in the past (or perhaps you still do) or spend time exposed outside in the sun or have in the past, be ever vigilant in checking your skin for any abnormal moles or spots. If you notice any, get them checked out. Skin Cancer is serious business!
Over and out…
Anna
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