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 Between 2010 and 2013, the percentage of adults using indoor tanning
beds fell from 5.5 percent to 4.2 percent, the researchers report.
This translates to two million fewer people who are tanning
themselves with these devices, they said.
“We think the increasing awareness about the dangers of indoor
tanning may be partly responsible for the decrease in indoor
tanning,” said lead author Gery P. Guy Jr., a health economist at
the CDC in Atlanta. “Studies repeatedly show that indoor tanning
increases skin cancer risk. And the more you tan, the more the risk
goes up.”
There still is a perception that tanning beds are safer than
sunbathing, but Guy pointed out in an email that there is no
evidence to support this idea.
“In fact, exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning is much more
intense than the UV exposure from being outdoors in the sun,” he
said. “An important point that can be overlooked when it comes to
tanning is that a tan is temporary but the risk for skin cancer is
permanent.”
But while the number of people using indoor tanning beds is
dropping, the study estimates that 7.8 million women and 1.9 million
men still engage in this activity.
As reported in JAMA Dermatology, the data are from nearly 60,000
participants in the 2010 and 2013 National Health Interview Surveys.
Along with an overall reduction in tanning bed use, the researchers
also found that rates among young adults ages 18 to 29 dropped from
11.3 percent in 2010 to 8.6 percent in 2013. People in this age
group still accounted for the most tanning bed use, however.
The Surgeon General has highlighted the importance of reducing the
harms from indoor tanning.
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Individuals should be encouraged to avoid indoor tanning and
behavioral counseling is recommended for those with fair skin, aged
10-24, about minimizing UV exposure to reduce skin cancer risk, Guy
said.
“Appearance-focused behavioral interventions stressing that indoor
tanning can cause premature wrinkles and age spots have been shown
to be effective in reducing indoor tanning,” Guy added. “Colleges
can discourage indoor tanning and restrict its use on campus.”
But some organizations think more is needed to curb their use.
“A nationwide ban would go a long way toward curbing this dangerous,
potentially deadly behavior, and The Skin Cancer Foundation supports
anti-tanning legislation at both the state and federal levels,” said
Dr. Deborah S. Sarnoff, senior vice-president of the foundation.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1f84wc2 JAMA Dermatology, online July 1, 2015.
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