Tell Your Teen Why Indoor Tanning Is OUT!

March 16th, 2010
by Guest Blogger

[Today's guest blogger is Janet from the Federal Trade Commission]

 

It’s the depths of winter. It’s been overcast for weeks. The local tanning salon is advertising an all-you-can-tan deal for $30, and your teen wants to get a tan before the prom. Is it safe?

You can tell your teen the answer is a resounding no. According to the Federal Trade Commission, indoor tanning can cause melanoma and squamous cell skin cancer. In fact, the FTC recently settled charges that a major player in the indoor tanning industry misrepresented the risks of indoor tanning.

The FTC is not the only agency warning about the risks of indoor tanning. The Food and Drug Administration and the National Cancer Institute both advise that you avoid tanning beds entirely. The FDA cites a recent study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer finding that the use of tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75%. What’s more, the FDA site provides a real life example of the potential consequences of indoor tanning. It features the story of a former Miss Maryland who was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 20, after years of indoor tanning. Since her diagnosis, surgeries have left her with about 25 scars. Visit the FDA site to learn more.

Tags: cancer, kids, tanning, tanning beds, teens

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 4:50 pm and is filed under For Kids, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.