2QQ9____________________
Forum
Tan now, but cancer may
be closer than you think
u J essi B roberg ___________
Staff Reporter
When you look around at
the orange faces of the teen
population you can't help
but wonder whether they
are prime candidates for
melanoma and other skin
cancers, wrinkles, and/or
sagging skin.
Nearly 2.3 million American
teenagers visit tanning salons
on a regular basis. Researchers
who have been concerned for
years are intensifying their
research. Most people who tan
do not understand the effects
tanning will have on them
later. Salons may be one cause
of the problem.
"They tell you not to wear
sunscreen— just these special
oils they make you buy at the
tanning salons," Josie Sells,
senior, said. I
If you talk to people who
work in tanning salons you
will hear the common myth
about "base tans." The evidence
does not support a protective
effect of the use of tanning
beds against damage to the
skin from sun exposure. There
are no safe tans, normal or via
tanning booths. When skin
tans it is because it has been
damaged.
Tanning seems to be
acceptable to many parents
and teens. Even sports teams
are supporting tanning. Last
year the Softball Team sold
punch cards to tanning salons
in an effort to raise money.
"I believe as a community
we need to foster healthy
living. By putting green and
gold on the tanning punch
cards or advertisements
it could mean West Linn
is sponsoring this and
supporting this," Dede
Montgomery, WLHS parent
and Occupational Health and
Safety Specialist, at the Center
for Research on Occupational
and Environmental Toxicology
at Oregon Health and Sciences
University, said.
Most people are unaware
of how dangerous the effects
are of tanning. Based on seven
worldwide studies, people
who first use a tanning bed
before age 35 increase their risk
for melanoma by 75 percent.
The UVA rays in tanning
booths are two to three times
more powerful than those of
the sun.
Melanoma is the most
dangerous type of skin cancer
and strikes more than 59,000
people in the U.S. each year
and kills more than 7,000.
Melanoma is becoming more
common in the U.S. and other
countries around the world,
according to World Health
Organization statistics, and
the popularity of tanning and
tanning beds is part of the
reason.
"This may not mean much
to a high school student, but
when they are 30 their skin
may look much older with
much more wrinkling of the
skin—on the face especially.
Cheeks begin to sag as does the
skin around the eyes. Not very
pretty to think about," Marilyn
Ellwood, District nurse, said.
There's more evidence
on the hazards of tanning
beds. Baking under their
artificial lamps as little as
once a month can boost your
risk of a deadly form of skin
cancer by 55 percent. The
danger is even greater when
done in childhood and early
adulthood.
"T he o v erlo a d se rio u sly
cu ts in to m y b e a u ty
sleep ."
—
J e f f Houston, s e "
nior
"A t le a st tw o h o u rs, at
th e m o st fo u r h o u rs,
u n less w e h a v e p ro jects,
th en y o u h av e to p u ll all
n ig h te rs."
—Emm all, e Cox, junior
continued on page 6
My sister
accidentally
killed herself.
How big is your homework
load each night, and how
much does it affect your
sleep?
She died of skin cancer.
My homework load
isn't
really too bad. I get
about 7-8 hours of
3sleep a night."
-Justin McKee, soph-
omore
Most people think
skin cancer happens
to other people..
But it’s actually the most
common of all cancers.
Left unchecked,
skin cancer can be fatal.
The good news, it’s
almost always curable
if you catch it early.
Start now.
Make sun safety a way of life.
"It's way too much for
my busy schedule and
I am
constantly stressed
that I can't get enough
done."
— Ryan Pierson,
freshman
Use sunscreen, cover up and watch for skin changes.
Hope.
Progress. Answers.« /
U8 ÖÖ- ACS- 2 3 4 5 / w w w . c a n c e r . o r g
^ public service announcement from the American Cancer Society warns of the dangers of melanoma.
Campaigns like this one from 2007 are meant to inform younger people that those who first use a tanning
bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent according to seven worldwide studies.
Photos by
Avery Breyne-Cartwright
and Ty Clarke