Tropical Sun

News channel 12 in cinncinatti ohio had this story on last night

A good number of women after deciding on a spaghetti strap dress head for the tanning booth. But just 20 minutes under the fake sun can cost you years down the road,, as you'll see in tonight's health focus.

The single most preventable cause of skin cancer is a sunburn. That's why fifteen-year-old Amy Roberts mom brought her here.

Kelly Roberts-mother
"She called and said she wasn't feeling well and i asked her what was wrong and she said she had gone to the tanning bed and she has been up all night with chills and vomiting."

Every year a million Americans use tanning beds. Many of them don't know they're just as dangerous as the noonday sun.

Dr Carden Johnston-ER pediatrician
"sometimes it's even more dangerous because the rays are close and you're close and so if something goes wrong ... With the timer or the clock or your judgment of how much time or if you fall asleep or they don't come get you out ... You can get seriously burned. "

Twenty-seven minutes in the booth, her arms are burned, hands swollen, her back is red, and there are small blisters on her leg. Most of these are first degree burns.

"But in her parts of her body, probably about 20% of her body she's going to get 2nd degree... Which are blisters ... So this 1st degree is going to start changing into 2nd degree and these blisters are going to start forming in the next few hours"

Researchers at University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, found that young people who used tanning beds were three times more likely to develop melanoma, the deadly skin cancer that kills over 7000 Americans per year.

"My recommendation for your adolescent child is to stay out of the tanning booths, it's not worth it just to have your skin look a little different ... The risks are too great later in life. "

Then, to top it off, they had a camera crew filming a standard tanning bed with the bulbs on and the canopy open. Then a chick in a bikini walks into view and climbs into the tanning. And Guess what? This idiot is not wearing GOGGLES and the film crew is just shooting away. AND then, they failed to mention this so-called 15 year old was a skin type I. You could clearly tell. And the idiot they were filming in the bed with NO GOGGLES on was skin type I. Obviously the poorly ran salon didn't get a minor consent signature because they mother acted stupid to the fact that the daughter tanned and then, they tanned her for 27 MINUTES. Good gracious man, where is this salon. They should have come to interview me for the things that PROPER SALONS do.

please email the anchor woman at kandrews@wkrc.com, and tell her how you feel they will not do a retraction or a follow up

Chippp

That news report must have been done by a rookie that didn't get the facts.
It makes the news crew look like fools.
Chicken Little says "the sky is falling the sky is falling"
Yawn!

Chippp

What booth has a 20 min session length?
The story must be made up!
the story makes no sense.

kathi

This kind of "reporting" makes me so mad! These people have absolutely NO CLUE!!

Becky

All these people are interested in are sensational stories. The truth does not sell as well!

Desert Sun

I read another message board that Vicki at Bayside Tanning in Cincinnati, Ohio - where the storyline was reported is taking a stand against the local News Channel and is demanding a follow-up. In turn, she has asked that all salon owners stand together this once and email your views on this storyline to Kit Andrews at the kandrews@wkrc.com address. And at the same time, to please carbon copy Vicki at bayside8266@cs.com so she can personally thank you herself. This is an opportunity for all of us to help a fellow salon owner. She has called on people she knows to post this on Smart Tan,Tan Talk and Tan Today. I felt this was a good time to help her and understand by her reaching out to all the message boards that is a serious matter to her. Imagine if this storyline as hideous as this ran in our local town. That's all. I usually don't participate on message boards but did venture over here to see if a post was put on Tan Talk, but noticed there was no mention of carbon copying Vicki your message. So, I challenge each and everyone who reads this to take just 1 minute to email this lady at Channel 12 news and at the same time, carbon copy Vicki.

Thanks,
Desert Sun [ This Message was edited by: Desert Sun on 2001-12-04 18:14 ]

Desert Sun

Oh, just got an email from Vicki thanking me for taking a stand with her and she stated that if you wanted to look at www.wkrc.com, her Channel 12 news webpage, you should goto the webpage and the to the Health Authority section and that is where a transcript of that tanning storyline is available for all to read in case you truly feel this story was made up and choose not to take that minute to send your email and copy to Vicki.

Becky

Let's all respond to this one. Get those emails out! This an important issue!

EyeWearWars

Thanks for the article, I needed to see another idiot in the news.........[ This Message was edited by: EyeWearWars on 2001-12-12 18:37 ]

Tracy

This is the response I recieved this morning from the reporter....
Tracy:
Thanks for your e-mail. While your salon is no doubt more responsible than most, the concept of indoor tanning remains controversial.

It's the position of the American Academy of Dermatology that there should be no "tanning industry." The AAD believes any time the color of your pigment is changed, there is skin damage. As your immune system tries to repair the damage, there is the potential for alterations at the cellular level, i.e. cancer. In recent years those cellular changes have been documented. My scan of the AAD website found no information on 'safe tanning.' In fact, the AAD has asked the FDA to ban the use of indoor tanning equipment for non medical uses.

The following report from the AAD summarizes the current position. Our report reflects the views of the vast majority of medical professionals. When and if the AAD position changes, we'll certainly report that.

Kit Andrews, 12WKRC

Tanning Salon Exposure Can Lead to Skin Cancer

Recent study cites damage similar to outdoor sun exposure

SCHAUMBURG, IL (May 29, 2001) - For years, having a tan has been synonymous with health and vitality. And for those who feared the damage done to the skin by outdoor ultraviolet (UV) exposure, indoor tanning was touted as a safe alternative. However, a recent study shows that the UV exposure received from a tanning bed may be just as harmful to the skin as outdoor sun exposure, leading to the same molecular alterations believed to be necessary for the development of skin cancer.

"On an average day in the United States, more than 1 million people invest both time and money to visit tanning salons, despite studies which have found an increased incidence of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, in those who visit indoor tanning salons," stated dermatologist S. Elizabeth Whitmore, MD, co-author of "Tanning Salon Exposure and Molecular Alterations" published in the May 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. "This is the first study to examine and show that similar molecular damage occurs with indoor UV exposure, as found with outdoor UV exposure."

The study exposed individuals to a series of ten full-body tanning salon treatments over a two-week period. Only a small part of the buttocks was covered to provide a control skin sample. During the final exposure, one-half of the skin on the buttocks was uncovered, thereby providing an area for examination after a single UV exposure.

The indoor tanning light source used in the study emitted 95 percent UVA, the type of UV radiation that penetrates more deeply into the skin. The remaining 5 percent of light was UVB, the type of UV radiation that affects the epidermis, the uppermost skin layer, and is often associated with sunburn. "Indoor tanning uses UVA radiation, which leads some in the industry to claim that indoor tanning is a safe alternative to outdoor tanning," said Dr. Whitmore, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. "However, most salons bulbs still provide a significant amount of UVB radiation, in addition to UVA. Both types of ultraviolet light, whether from sunlight or indoor tanning light, cause various types of damage in the skin that may lead to skin cancer and should be avoided."

Skin biopsies, as well as blood samples, were taken after a single UV exposure and after the final UV exposure to determine the molecular alterations in the skin and blood. Specifically, the study analyzed the amount of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD), and p53 protein in the skin and blood. CPD is the most common type of DNA damage caused by UV radiation, which if left un-repaired, results in the skin mutations found in skin cancer. p53 is a protein which allows cells to slow down their reproduction process so that damage from UV radiation can be repaired.

The study found that relative to the unexposed control skin, there was a significant increase in CPD in the skin biopsies taken after the last UV exposure. In addition, the quantity of CPD in the skin after just one exposure was similar to the quantity in the skin that received all ten exposures. Also, within 24 hours of the first UV exposure, p53 protein was present in all layers of the epidermis.

"The increased presence p53 protein in the skin signifies that the body is responding to the cell damage, or the CPD, due to UV exposure," said Dr. Whitmore. "And though the body is trying to repair the damage, there is the risk of a mistake in the repair process which increases as the number of altered cells increases. If there is a 'miss' in the cell repair process, subsequent replication of the altered cell yields a clone of abnormal cells which may eventually appear as a skin cancer."

Regulation of the $2 billion tanning salon industry in the United States is limited, with only 21 states having regulatory laws in place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports an estimated 700 emergency department visits per year related to tanning salon exposure.

"There is no such thing as a safe tan," said Dr. Whitmore. "A suntan is the skin's response to an injury and every time you tan you accumulate damage to the skin, as well as accelerating the aging process and increasing your risk for skin cancer. As long as indoor tanning for cosmetic effects is permitted in this country, there needs to be increased educational efforts informing the public of the risks of this type of tanning."

Unless and until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bans the sale and use of tanning equipment for non-medical purposes, the AAD supports the following requirements for indoor tanning facilities, including:

A warning statement defining potential hazards and consequences of exposure to UVA should be signed by each patron.

No minor should be permitted to use a tanning bed without written consent of a parent or guardian.

No person or facility should advertise the use of any UVA or UVB tanning device using wording such as "safe," "safe tanning," "no harmful rays," "no adverse effect," or similar wording or concepts.

This year, more than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. An estimated 51,400 of those will be diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Approximately, 7,800 people will die from melanoma; 5,000 men and 2,800 women. However, skin cancer is highly treatable, especially if it is caught early and while it is still localized.

The American Academy of Dermatology, founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of over 13,000 dermatologists worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the science and art of medicine and surgery related to the skin; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; supporting and enhancing patient care; and promoting a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the AAD at 1-888-462-DERM or www.aad.org.