Prominently displayed at this year’s American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting in Washington D.C. earlier this month were the new consumer advertisements from the AAD, which tackled the topic of teens and tanning beds.
These ads seem seemed well targeted in their attempt to educate teens in a language they understand (text message lingo) with several messages, including the following:
- Tanning Beds R 4 Losers.
- R U using tanning beds? Don’t B stupid.
- UV rays from tanning beds can B up to 15x stronger than the sun.
- They can increase UR risk for skin cancer, the kind that can kill U — melanoma. In fact, it’s the 2nd most common cancer 4 women in their 20s. OMG!
- UV rays can cause . . . the ugliest, wrinkled skin ever.
- Indoor tanning is out.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 28 million Americans are tanning indoors each year at about 25,000 tanning salons around the country. And according to a study reported by the AAD, approximately 7% of girls age 14 who were surveyed had used tanning beds in the last 12 months; 16% of girls age 15 had reported doing so and 35% of girls aged 17 had used tanning beds in the last year.
The Latest Legislative Attempt at Curbing Indoor Tanning
According to the Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign, 29 states have legislation regarding indoor tanning facilities and 22 states regulate youth access.
California is the latest state to introduce legislation, and if this state’s bill passes, then it will be illegal for teens under age 16 to use indoor tanning facilities. Teens aged 16 to 18 would need written parental consent, proof of age and would need also need to sign a consent form in the presence of a facility owner or employee of the indoor tanning facility. The bill also would require additional safety measures (see page 81 for more details).
A Small Ray of Hope?
These attempts to better educate and regulate may help curb skin cancer increases in younger populations, which have reportedly been on the rise — or not.
As Chief Medical Editor Steve Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., wrote in his editorial last May after talking to a group of sunburned-faced teen girls about the risks of indoor tanning: “What chance do we have of getting teenagers such as these girls to give up this risky practice? Probably not much of one.”
That remains to be seen, but it’s an uphill battle, no doubt.
Please take a moment to read this month’s issue, which is devoted to issues of skin cancer and photoaging. Editorial focused on these topics begins on page 56.
Larisa Hubbs
Executive Editor
lhubbs@hmpcommunications.com
Prominently displayed at this year’s American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting in Washington D.C. earlier this month were the new consumer advertisements from the AAD, which tackled the topic of teens and tanning beds.
These ads seem seemed well targeted in their attempt to educate teens in a language they understand (text message lingo) with several messages, including the following:
- Tanning Beds R 4 Losers.
- R U using tanning beds? Don’t B stupid.
- UV rays from tanning beds can B up to 15x stronger than the sun.
- They can increase UR risk for skin cancer, the kind that can kill U — melanoma. In fact, it’s the 2nd most common cancer 4 women in their 20s. OMG!
- UV rays can cause . . . the ugliest, wrinkled skin ever.
- Indoor tanning is out.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 28 million Americans are tanning indoors each year at about 25,000 tanning salons around the country. And according to a study reported by the AAD, approximately 7% of girls age 14 who were surveyed had used tanning beds in the last 12 months; 16% of girls age 15 had reported doing so and 35% of girls aged 17 had used tanning beds in the last year.
The Latest Legislative Attempt at Curbing Indoor Tanning
According to the Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign, 29 states have legislation regarding indoor tanning facilities and 22 states regulate youth access.
California is the latest state to introduce legislation, and if this state’s bill passes, then it will be illegal for teens under age 16 to use indoor tanning facilities. Teens aged 16 to 18 would need written parental consent, proof of age and would need also need to sign a consent form in the presence of a facility owner or employee of the indoor tanning facility. The bill also would require additional safety measures (see page 81 for more details).
A Small Ray of Hope?
These attempts to better educate and regulate may help curb skin cancer increases in younger populations, which have reportedly been on the rise — or not.
As Chief Medical Editor Steve Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., wrote in his editorial last May after talking to a group of sunburned-faced teen girls about the risks of indoor tanning: “What chance do we have of getting teenagers such as these girls to give up this risky practice? Probably not much of one.”
That remains to be seen, but it’s an uphill battle, no doubt.
Please take a moment to read this month’s issue, which is devoted to issues of skin cancer and photoaging. Editorial focused on these topics begins on page 56.
Larisa Hubbs
Executive Editor
lhubbs@hmpcommunications.com
Prominently displayed at this year’s American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting in Washington D.C. earlier this month were the new consumer advertisements from the AAD, which tackled the topic of teens and tanning beds.
These ads seem seemed well targeted in their attempt to educate teens in a language they understand (text message lingo) with several messages, including the following:
- Tanning Beds R 4 Losers.
- R U using tanning beds? Don’t B stupid.
- UV rays from tanning beds can B up to 15x stronger than the sun.
- They can increase UR risk for skin cancer, the kind that can kill U — melanoma. In fact, it’s the 2nd most common cancer 4 women in their 20s. OMG!
- UV rays can cause . . . the ugliest, wrinkled skin ever.
- Indoor tanning is out.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 28 million Americans are tanning indoors each year at about 25,000 tanning salons around the country. And according to a study reported by the AAD, approximately 7% of girls age 14 who were surveyed had used tanning beds in the last 12 months; 16% of girls age 15 had reported doing so and 35% of girls aged 17 had used tanning beds in the last year.
The Latest Legislative Attempt at Curbing Indoor Tanning
According to the Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign, 29 states have legislation regarding indoor tanning facilities and 22 states regulate youth access.
California is the latest state to introduce legislation, and if this state’s bill passes, then it will be illegal for teens under age 16 to use indoor tanning facilities. Teens aged 16 to 18 would need written parental consent, proof of age and would need also need to sign a consent form in the presence of a facility owner or employee of the indoor tanning facility. The bill also would require additional safety measures (see page 81 for more details).
A Small Ray of Hope?
These attempts to better educate and regulate may help curb skin cancer increases in younger populations, which have reportedly been on the rise — or not.
As Chief Medical Editor Steve Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., wrote in his editorial last May after talking to a group of sunburned-faced teen girls about the risks of indoor tanning: “What chance do we have of getting teenagers such as these girls to give up this risky practice? Probably not much of one.”
That remains to be seen, but it’s an uphill battle, no doubt.
Please take a moment to read this month’s issue, which is devoted to issues of skin cancer and photoaging. Editorial focused on these topics begins on page 56.
Larisa Hubbs
Executive Editor
lhubbs@hmpcommunications.com
