Tanning Booths, Getting Burned!

     "Tanning beds give you a 'base tan' to keep you from burning."  How many times have you heard this?  Just last week, I met a very tan young woman in a store picking out sunscreen.  I couldn't help myself from asking her what kind of sunscreen she was purchasing and why; she was already so tan? She stated she was traveling to Brazil and got her base tan at a tanning salon.  I took the opportunity to share my story.  NO TAN IS A SAFE TAN! 
      State Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, attention is on the tanning salons that are downplaying the risks of indoor tanning and claiming benefits.  As stated in the Rochester D and C (4/24/15) He alleges they are both violating state law by advertising false testimonials and claims.  They are stating benefits of Vitamin D from tanning and include a testimonial from a kidney cancer survivor who claimed it helped him recover. "Make no mistake about it, states Schneiderman, There is nothing safe about indoor tanning."
      Total Tan's owner is firing back. He feels The State Attorney is trying to intimidate the stores and is imposing  his own view of the world on the industry.
       More lawsuits are likely in the future due to the practices of unlimited indoor tanning without properly disclosing the risks  and the lack of training staff. Planet Fitness is working with the office of the Attorney General to follow state laws and business practices.
     When all is said and done, the facts are the facts.
       
Here's why you must kiss the  tanning bed good-bye:

1. Your risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent when you use tanning beds before the age of 35.
2. Last year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer shifted indoor tanning devices to the highest cancer risk category: "carcinogenic to humans." (They were formerly classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans.")
3. Tanning can be addictive. For some people, UV radiation can have a druglike effect; they feel dependent on it and can experience withdrawal symptoms, says David Fisher, M.D., Ph.D.
4. Not only are tanning-bed users more vulnerable to melanoma, they're also 2½ times more likely to be diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma and 1½ times more susceptible to basal cell carcinoma.
5. Starting this July, you're going to pay a 10-percent tax every time you slip into the tanning booth.

Protect yourself from burns with sunscreen and protective clothing....no base tan needed!