Continued popularity of tanning salons isn t so bright and sunny

Eighteen percent of American women and 6.5 percent of American men use tanning beds, according to a survey of more than 2,800 whites by University of Minnesota researchers reported in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times. Most of those employing tanning beds said that they did not know that their use magnifies their risk of skin cancer.

In response, ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan emphatically observes: “People must be informed that ultraviolet rays are dangerous.”

ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross adds, “Lying under a tanning lamp is especially hazardous during one’s adolescent years.” ACSH’s Lana Spivak points to spray tanning and bronzing creams as safer alternatives.