Despite the recent temperature changes and more regular sunshine, many college students continue to use indoor tanning booths to get their UV “fix.”

A recent study published on April 19 in The Archives of Dermatology showed a “fix” is exactly how many college students should look at their frequent tanning sessions. Researchers found a strong correlation between tanning and addictive behaviors similar to drug and alcohol abuse.

According to researchers at the American Academy of Dermatology, roughly 1 million Americans, 70 percent of whom are women and girls, visit tanning salons each day. Indoor tanning among U.S. college students is linked to addiction, anxiety and substance use, according to the study conducted recently by AAD.

Darrel Rigel, a former president of AAD and now a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University, said researchers of the study polled more than 400 undergraduates ages 18 to 25 in the northeastern United States and found more than half used tanning beds, according to an article on CNN.com.

Rigel told CNN the tanning addiction is an issue that needs to be addressed and changed.

“We have to attack the public’s perception of this just like we would attack alcoholism and drug use,” Rigel said.

Researchers used language similar to screening quizzes for alcohol and substance abuse in the study. They then asked the respondents about their indoor tanning, as well as the amount of alcohol and other substances they had been using.

“Treating an underlying mood disorder may be a necessary step in reducing skin cancer risk among those who frequently tan indoors,” the authors of the study wrote in the research summary.

The risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before turning 30 years old, according to a study in Lancet Oncology, a monthly journal that publishes research articles in clinical oncology.

From the study, the research team concluded people who tanned also frequently used alcohol and marijuana and were also prone to symptoms of anxiety, Rigel said.

There may be multiple reasons those with addictive personalities may be drawn to indoor tanning, according to the study. Repeated exposure to UV light might have similar results to those experienced by substance users. These results include increased relaxation, socialization and an overall improvement in their general mood and outlook.

Despite the positive results indoor tanning may bring, Rigel said it was a dangerous way for students to seek relief.

“We haven’t convinced people in theory that 100 percent of people should be wearing sunscreen and zero percent of people should be going to tanning beds,” Rigel said.

He said he encourages more behavioral scientists and addiction experts to find a solution to stop the excessive use of beds among younger people.

Karen Heitzman, a physician specializing in internal medicine in Manlius, N.Y., said she believes most addictive specialists notice this link, especially among students and young adults.

“The only time I ever council people about tanning is when I go do the high school physicals,” Heitzman said. “All of the students want to be tan for prom.”

She said she rarely deals with people who tan because the majority of patients she treats are from an older demographic. She said tanning addiction is a problem among younger people today and should be looked at more closely, especially around university areas.

The government is now treating tanning as an addictive substance, as a new tax had been put into place, similar to the tax on cigarettes, alcohol and the highly debated obesity tax, Heitzman said.

The Obama administration announced with the many changes made in the new health care bill that the cost of tanning would be altered. The administration wanted to impose the tax to help fund the $940 billion health care overhaul, according to CNN’s updates on health care reform. A 10 percent tax on receiving indoor tanning services was imposed, and the new policy is expected to generate $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.

The AAD researchers pointed to the large amount of expected revenue from the tanning tax as a sign that tanning addiction is a widespread problem, according to an article on FoxNews.com.

The research team at AAD also provided many suggestions to prevent skin cancer. Among these reasons, the authors said using sunscreen, scheduling regular check-ups and staying away from all salons were important steps. They also suggested further counseling for those who have tried to quit and have not yet been able to kick the habit.

 

Published on May 2, 2010 at 12:00 pm