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Teens and Tanning: a Dangerous Combination
With the incidence of skin cancer on the
rise, it has never been more important to share the message
that prevention and detection are the keys to avoiding this
potentially life- threatening condition. Simple steps, such as
using sunscreen, wearing a hat, and avoiding the sun when its
rays are the strongest, are easy ways to help prevent skin
cancer. This message is particularly important for children
and adolescents, since skin cancer is commonly associated with
excessive UV exposure before the age of 18. Yet recent studies
of young people suggest that the prevention message is not
being heard, or worse, is simply being ignored.
Speaking today at the American Academy of
Dermatology's Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention
Month Press Conference, dermatologist James M. Spencer, MD,
Vice Chairman, Department of Dermatology, The Mount Sinai
School of Medicine, New York, discussed the dangerous mix of
teens and tanning.
According to current statistics, nearly
half of all new cancers are skin cancers and more than 1
million new skin cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United
States this year. It is also estimated that skin cancer will
claim 9,800 lives in 2003.
In a recent survey of over 10,000 young
people ages 12-18 from all 50 states, it was found that the
simple use of sunscreen on sunny days was practiced by only
34.4 percent of youths surveyed. In addition, the survey
discovered that 83 percent of teens had experienced at least
one sunburn in the previous year, and 36 percent of those who
were burned had experienced three or more sunburns.
Myths
about Indoor Tanning
The survey also found that natural sunlight
wasn't the only significant source of UV exposure for teens.
Approximately 10 percent of young people surveyed said that
they had used tanning beds in the previous year. Of this
group, young women were found to be most likely to use indoor
tanning devices. This fact was supported by the results of a
recent study of American attitudes about tanning conducted by
the American Academy of Dermatology, which found that 26
percent of young people under age 25 had used a tanning bed in
the past year. Of that 26 percent, more than half were young
women.
"The incidence of indoor tanning is
particularly troubling because it is so unnecessary," stated
Dr. Spencer. "It's not associated with playing sports or other
outdoor activities, but is practiced solely for cosmetic
reasons. Teenagers are intentionally putting their health at
risk."
Current evidence also suggests that the use
of artificial tanning devices increases with age. According to
a recent survey, approximately 7 percent of girls age 14 had
used tanning beds in the last year, while 16 percent of girls
age 15 had reported doing so. By age 17, the statistic
increased to 35 percent of girls who had used tanning beds in
the last year. In addition, a recent survey of college
students at a midwestern university found that 47 percent of
students had used indoor tanning beds in the last year. Of
those surveyed, 90 percent also admitted to knowing that
tanning is a health risk, yet they continued to use tanning
beds frequently.
Recent studies of the UV emission spectrum
of tanning beds illustrate the similarities between tanning
bed exposure and that of natural sunlight. Sunlight consists
of two types of harmful rays -- UVA rays and UVB rays. UVB
rays are the sun's burning rays, while UVA rays penetrate
deeper into the dermis to cause skin damage. While the UVB
exposure levels in tanning beds were similar to natural
sunlight, the UVA levels were 10 to 15 times higher. These
high exposure levels correspond to an overall UV "index" of
13. In comparison, an average UV index during a hot summer day
is 8.5.
"There seems to be a popular misconception
among young people that indoor tanning is 'safer' than
exposure to outdoor sunlight," explained Dr. Spencer.
"However, tanning beds still emit dangerous levels of UV rays
and are considered a serious health risk."
It is still uncertain as to what is the
most influencing factor in a young person's decision to tan.
When asked in recent surveys about their desire to tan, teens
replied that they simply "preferred" tanned skin, they wanted
to emulate friends that were tan, or they felt that receiving
a sunburn was a good way to begin the tanning process. What is
certain from this information is that the risk of skin cancer
does not seem to be a factor in a teen's decision to tan.
"Pressure to conform to cosmetic ideals
presented in popular culture and advertising are powerful
factors influencing the young. These are pressures that can be
changed," said Dr. Spencer. "Parents, the medical profession,
and the government, working with the media, entertainment and
advertising industries, can change these unhealthy attitudes
and help reverse the current trend of dangerous sun exposure
for today's teens."
PRE-teens and Younger
Children receive 80 percent of their total
lifetime sun exposure by the time they turn 18. In 2003, more
than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in
the United States. The earlier parents incorporate sun
protection into their children's daily activities, the lower
their lifetime risk will be for developing skin cancer.
"The number of skin cancer diagnoses each
year continues to rise and dermatologists are seeing younger
and younger patients with skin cancer," said dermatologist
Raymond L. Cornelison, Jr., MD, President of the American
Academy of Dermatology. "There has never been a more important
time to protect children from the dangers of the sun."
Children on the playground often see who
can swing higher, run faster and jump farthest. But not
everything on the playground is fun and games. Overexposure to
the sun can occur when children are outside for long periods
of time without proper sun protection. Sunburns that a child
may get can have a cumulative effect on the skin and can lead
to future skin cancers including melanoma, the deadliest form
of skin cancer.
Each year, the American Academy of
Dermatology's Sun-Safe, Play Safe Playground Initiative awards
grants of shade structures for playgrounds across the country.
The grants provide tarp-like structures which shield all
equipment and those playing on it from the rays of the sun.
Working with KaBOOM!™, a national
nonprofit that forges public and private partnerships to
create healthy play environments for children.
"Children are the most vulnerable to the
rays of the sun because of the amount of time they spend
outdoors. Shade structures over playgrounds could ultimately
save lives," said Dr. Cornelison. "It is the Academy's hope
that these sun-safe playgrounds will serve as national models,
encouraging others to incorporate sun protected areas into
playgrounds throughout the country."
Since 1999, the AAD has underwritten
innovative efforts to protect children from sun exposure while
at play. It built the nation's first "sun- safe" playground in
1999, working with KaBOOM!, and since 2000, the AAD has
awarded nine Sun-Safe, Play Safe shade structure grants to
enhance existing playgrounds.
This year's winners for Sun Safe Playgrounds are:
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Apopka Family Learning Center, Apopka, Fl.
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Community Food Bank, Tucson, Az.
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& Mesita Elementary School, El Paso, Tx
For more information about creating
sun safe playgrounds in your area or the dangers of sun
exposure to youths, contact the AAD at 1-888-462-DERM or
www.aad.org .
Source: American Academy of
Dermatology
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