Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/G6aozfdBiuk Big business is pushing yet another unhealthy, addictive habit on our teens and young adults.  We can now add tanning’s carcinogenic UV radiation to tobacco’s cancer-triggering smoke, vaping’s addicting nicotine, and alcohol’s liver damaging metabolites. Community medicine and public health investigators at the University of Colorado reviewed the advertising and business practices of 94 tanning enterprises across  America.  They found that advertising preferentially targets the young with low, introductory pricing and packages that encourage overuse. Nineteen states ban indoor tanning salon use for those under 18 years, but tanning beds are also found in many health clubs and apartment complexes with little or no oversight.  Over 80,000 cases of potentially deadly melanoma surface each year, and tanning in salons but also on the beach could make you or your child one of the next victims. One last point to consider: a preliminary study from Georgetown University’s Cancer