Cases of melanoma skin cancer in the U.S. have jumped 200-percent since 1973, and the Surgeon General blames excessive tanning. A report from the office calls for increasing education about the dangers of sun exposure, and banning tanning beds on college campuses.
Sara Sahli with the American Cancer Society’s Wisconsin chapter says young people using tanning beds can lead to life-long problems. She says using a tanning bed before the age of 35 increases your risk of developing melanoma by 69 percent.
The ACS wants a nationwide ban on anyone under the age of 18 using a tanning bed.
Sahli says many people don’t take skin cancer warnings seriously, whether they are for sun exposure or using tanning beds. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration labeled tanning beds in the same category of cancer-causing materials used to classify cigarettes.
WHBY
