Media sucks.....update...

[SandiGirl]

Today there was an article in our paper because some local Dr. wants to ban anyone under 18 from tanning. The heading said something along the lines of tanning possibly causing death and disfigurement. I went online to post it but you have to subscribe to view it.

I was hoping we could bombard the editor with a bunch of letters from salons all over North America.

It honestly baffles me that they don't think kids will be out at the beach scorching themselves every summer. So mom and dad can get a good base tan to prevent burning on a vacation but the kids can't.

It truly makes no sense to me.

EDIT ~ Okay here's the article. Feel free to send a letter to the editor at letters@tc.canwest.com

The two translucent English girls we met on the beach turned bright pink on the first day of our mid-winter Caribbean holiday, then, after a few hours, disappeared.

My friend and I had joked to them that they would turn into lobsters if they stayed out on the sand any longer. We sun-starved Canadian girls knew it was folly to run from the airport to the beach and sit there all day, slathered in oil, as they were: not because we worried about skin cancer then, but because we abhorred the aesthetic horror of the burn and peel. The pair laughed us off: When you fly across the ocean for the status symbol of a tan or even a painful sunburn, you don't cover up.

My friend and I agreed with the tanned-is-cool principle. We paid good money for our holiday and had no intention of going home the same colour as when we left: how unhip. As a teen and young adult, I slapped on suntan lotion with my pals, from Cuba to the Bahamas to the Virgin Islands to Australia. And I spent 40 hatless summers in southern Ontario, swimming, sunning, playing tennis and sailing.

We knew the secret was to take it slowly and avoid the burn. Those girls didn't, and ended up in hospital.

That was 30 years ago. We know now we were all fools.

I thought of those two this week as I read about a new study that suggests suntanning can be as addictive as drugs and alcohol. In Britain, they have already coined the term "tanorexia," used to describe teens' addiction to suntanning beds, which are a whole lot handier to British and Canadian youth today than Caribbean beaches.

The American study, conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, suggests that "repetitive tanning behaviour" -- either lying in the sun or regularly patronizing tanning salons -- may be similar to alcoholism or drug dependency. The researchers interviewed 145 sunbathers using questions based on those used to figure out if someone is an alcoholic or drug addict. For example, they asked: "Do you try to cut down on the time you spend in the sun, but find yourself still suntanning?" And: "Do you think you need to spend more and more time in the sun to maintain your perfect tan?"

Depending on which of two survey tools they used, between a quarter to more than one half of the beach-goers met the criteria for a "substance-related disorder," which in this case, is ultraviolet light and tanning.

The scientists admit they don't know what is addictive about tanning, but speculate it may increase endorphin production: Endorphins are associated with pain relief and even euphoria. (Who doesn't love that feeling of warm sun on the skin, after a dark, rainy winter?)

In Britain, doctors fear that the tan as fashion statement is going to mean a lot more skin cancer deaths down the road. The British Medical Association and Cancer Research U.K. want a ban on those under 16 using tanning salons, as what some call the "Posh and Becks syndrome" attracts more teens. The expression refers to former "Posh" Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, and her soccer-star husband, David Beckham, who are the U.K.'s "it" couple. Kids envy their tans, their fame, their millions. For legions of celebrity-obsessed kids, the tan is the only part of that they can get.

It's easy for me now to relax under my broad-brimmed hat, all lathered up with oil-free sunblock, impressing no-one. I've got rosacea, a minor but annoying skin condition that requires me to take medication that means I can't sit in the sun even if I wanted to. So I cover up, monitor the brown and red spots on my body, and hope for the best.

I can't undo the damage done. But I can support Dr. Richard Stanwick, our local chief medical health officer and a proud poster boy for pasty. He would like to see the Capital Regional District ban those under age 18 from using tanning salons.

Some people fear Big Brother controlling our lives. I'm with them when it is about covert Internet surveillance, secret no-fly lists and holding people without charge. But bylaws against children's activities that can cause deadly cancer later?

I'm firmly with the nannies on this one. We have already made laws that aim to keep minors from the wounds adults like to inflict upon ourselves, including drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, fighting in wars and working too many hours. We also have laws against child abuse. Stanwick's proposal fits in nicely with the clear, sensible trend to protect the vulnerable.

Even with a bylaw, people of any age can still tan if they want. But by keeping kids out of tanning salons, we can at least send a message that those fair English girls probably now wish someone knew -- and cared enough -- to send to them.

Vivian Smith is a journalist, teacher and editorial consultant in Victoria.



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Ban stupid people...not dogs.[ This Message was edited by: SandiGirl on 2005-08-21 22:46 ]

[Luke Skywalker]

The media dosen't suck the non-existant national tanning advertising campaign and the lack of a national independent salon owners association who can afford lawyers and lobbiests to combat these things suck.

Don't whine about it call your congressman, call your local politicos, call the media and make them prove the doctor's claims.

Let's all get off our cylonian lounge pods and actually do something. Do it locally, do it in your state get a petition going anything until this industry wakes up and smells the burnt wiring and realizes we have to actually spend some of our hard earned money to hire some big guns to protect us.

[SandiGirl]

Apparently there's a meeting next month and some Smart Tan people will be speaking. It will be interesting.

[tan2much]

This is getting ridiculos, I recently worte in a letter, a good one. Someone needs to stand up to this. What about the tabbaco industy, HELLOOO.

[TheBeachStop]

I just fired off a reply/statement to the Texas Medical Branch in Galveston about the article and others in question. Piled on research from various derms and Dr's who said positive things about UV and vitamin D, etc. Also brought to their attention a few falicies they tout as fact on their web site. We'll see what kind of response comes back. If it is anything like the past, it will be "Thank you for your suggestion/question/conern. blah blah blah..." yet nothing changes. One day the established derm society will pull their heads out and see that the world isn't flat. Then again...