Tanning Beds....The Sun is Setting

Dan Frith — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:02:51 GMT

The news is disturbing. I knew in my heart that tanning beds couldn't be good for your skin but the conclusions reached in a recent international study are alarming.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) had previously classified sunbeds as being a "probable" cause of cancer. However, the agency is now recommending that tanning machines should be moved to "the highest cancer risk category" and be labeled as "carcinogenic to humans".

In an article in medical journal The Lancet, oncology expert Dr. Fatiha El Ghissassi wrote: "The use of UV-emitting tanning devices is widespread in many developed countries, especially among young women. The article concluded the risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75 percent when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age. In addition, studies provide consistent evidence of a positive association between the use of UV-emitting tanning devices and ocular melanoma.

Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women aged 20 - 29.5, according to the America Melanoma Foundation.

My Take: It took way too long to restrict the use of cigarettes...lets not wait so long in limiting who may use tanning beds and under what limitations. I recently saw a local teenager with a tan that had to come from too frequent visits to a tanning bed...she may not know it but she is putting her life at risk.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith

Roanoke Personal Injury Lawyer - tanning beds

Tanning Beds....The Sun is Setting