The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal

MAY 2014

The 2012 edition of The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal features medically reviewed, reader-friendly articles such as tanning, the increasing incidence of skin cancer diagnoses among young women, & the prevalence of melanoma among white males over 50.

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YOUNG RISK TAKERS: TANNING SALONS' LOYAL CUSTOMERS Y oung people, especially young women, continue to use tanning beds at alarming rates, according to major new research. In January, an international "meta-analysis" of 88 studies including more than 400,000 people published online by JAMA Dermatology showed that that six out of 10 American college students (59 percent) have used indoor tanning. Similarly, in August, 2013, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examining recent surveys from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 29 percent of young non-Hispanic white female high school students had used indoor tanning beds at least once and another 17 percent used tanning beds at least 10 times over the survey year (2011). Among females between age 18 and age 34, 25 percent said they used indoor tanning beds and another 15 percent were frequent users. Females age 18 to 21 were the most frequent tanners. Using the same CDC surveys, the researchers released a related study online this February at JAMA Dermatology, showing that tanning among female and male high school students is associated with other risk-taking behaviors, such as binge drinking, unhealthy dieting, drug abuse, cigarette smoking, and hav- ing multiple sexual partners. With evidence stronger than ever that tanning beds are linked to skin cancer, the popularity of tanning beds among young people contin- ues to be a major public health con- cern. Interventions addressing other high-risk behaviors may also need to focus on altering young people's dangerous attitudes towards tan- ning. Overall, the number of skin cancer cases due to indoor tanning today is higher than the number of lung cancer cases due to smoking. 450,000 360,000 New cases of lung cancer annually are attributable to smoking. New cases of skin cancer annually (in the US, Europe and Australia combined) are attributable to indoor tanning. Skin Cancer Cases Due to Indoor Tanning vs. Lung Cancer Cases Due to Smoking TANNING BED LAWS FOR MINORS BY STATE I n the past f ve years, state legislatures across the country have been considering various tanning bed bans and regulations for minors. Passing this legislation has proved controversial, as critics argue that parents, not the govern- ment, should be deciding whether minors can use tanning beds. California became the f rst state to ban indoor tan- ning for minors under age 18 in 2011; Vermont was the second in 2012. *Currently 10 states have tanning bed bans for minors under age 17 or 18; 33 others have some form of regulations or restrictions for minors. States with tanning bed bans for minors under age 18 States with tanning bed bans for minors under age 17 No restrictions Alaska Hawaii States with some tanning bed regulations or restrictions for minors (such as requiring parental permission or accompaniment ) S K I N C A N C E R F O U N D A T I O N J O U R N A L 12 Skin Cancer World News Roundup

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