About 29 percent of high school girls use tanning beds and this figure alarmed doctors and public health officials, according to a new study.
Doctors and public health officials are most concerned about the rising rates of deadly skin cancers among women.
Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society told USA Today that the link between ultraviolet light and tanning lamps have never been this strong.
Lichtenfeld was not directly involved in the study. According to the study, melanoma is a lethal form of skin cancer that is diagnosed in nearly 77,000 Americans every year.
The American Cancer Society confirmed to the USA Today that melanoma kills 9,500 Americans yearly.
According to the study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, 44% of white girls have tried indoor tanning and this peaks at the age of 18. 30% of the 44% are classified as frequent tanners, a source told USA Today.
Preliminary research in the past years suggests that ultraviolet radiation may have addictive properties, which may explain the frequency of use among people, the USA Today reported.
Lichtenfeld expressed her thoughts regarding the issue and told USA Today that these rates are very disturbing.
Sophie Balk, attending pediatrician at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore in Bronx New York and author of the American Academy of Pediatrics policy report on tanning entitled "Ultraviolet Radiation: A Hazard to Children and Adolescents", told the USA Today that young women are boosting their cancer risk by undergoing frequent indoor tanning.
She further stressed and informed USA Today that "young people often think they're not susceptible to harm from risky behaviors, but they are."
Dr. Balk was not directly involved in the study.
