Indoor Tanning By Those under 18 To Be Banned?
High school aged Staten Island residents may soon be restricted from getting an indoor tan. New York law currently bans indoor tanning for residents under 14 and requires parent's permission from those 14 - 18 years of age who wish to tan indoors. The proposed law would ban indoor tanning by those under 18 years of age, regardless of their parent's permission. The increase in certain cancers attributable to tanning has lead to the proposal of this new law.
Recently, the World Health Organization listed tanning beds as a cancer causing carcinogen to humans, giving it their highest risk category. The evidence connecting tanning beds and melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, has been labeled "sufficient and compelling" by WHO doctors. Melanoma cases have doubled in the past 10 years, with 62,000 new cases expected this year.
The skin cancer risk is real, and not just limited to indoors. Sun tans, not from a lamp, are no safer than a tanning bed. Anytime you go out in the sun, you should wear a sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15. Generally, 20 minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun will cause reddening in the skin. Prolonged exposures cause deep skin tissue damage and burns. When selecting a sunscreen, make sure that they offer protection from UVA and UVB rays. Reapply every two hours, as sunscreen does not remain effective for longer periods of time. Remember, no sunscreen can block all of the suns harmful rays. When your skin starts to turn red, you have already begun to do damage. Sunscreen alone is not enough, as you need to limit exposure as set forth in the Skin Cancer Foundation's Prevention Guidelines.
