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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Scientists fight tanning. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Indoor tanning can make a young adult 60 to 80 percent more likely to develop deadly melanoma. Yet it remains alarmingly popular. In fact, according to behavioral scientist Dawn Holman of the Centers for Disease Control, about one in three white high school girls today is an indoor tanner.
DAWN HOLMAN (Centers for Disease Control):
And we see similar numbers among young adult women between the ages of 18 to 25. We’ve also noticed that those who indoor tan tend to do so frequently, with over half of indoor tanners reporting that they have 10 or more tanning sessions per year.
HIRSHON:
She adds that state and local regulations, like minimum ages, maximum visits, and required protections, are inconsistent and poorly enforced. While fixing that would help, she emphasizes that everyone needs to understand the dangers of indoor tanning, and explain them to their kids. I’m Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the Science Society.
