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Despite mixed
results, pledge raises awareness of dangers of tanning
By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff
Back in
March, while sifting through one of her weekly emails from the
state Department of Public Health, Janet Donnelly came across
some information about a no-tanning pledge that was being
sponsored by the Melanoma Foundation of New England.
“It just
caught my eye,” said Donnelly, Canton Public Schools’ nurse
leader and a parent of two daughters.
Having been
involved in a past job in health education, and especially given
the fact that the schools had lost their K-12 wellness
coordinator to budget cuts, Donnelly decided to give the pledge
a try. So after pulling together some information on melanoma
and the dangers of tanning, she contacted high school nurse
Maureen Campbell, and Campbell then began spreading the word to
the students.
The idea for
the pledge was fairly simple: juniors and seniors were to sign a
statement in which they promised not to “intentionally tan by
lying out in the sun or using tanning beds” until after their
proms. In exchange for a 70 percent participation rate, the
school would have been eligible to enter a drawing to win $5,000
toward their prom.
Initial
reaction among the students was mixed at best, however, as many,
including most of the boys, expressed indifference, while others
admitted they would rather take the risk and “look good” on
their special night. There was also a difference between the two
grades, with a much higher percentage of juniors agreeing to
sign, compared to the older, more independent seniors.
Despite what
junior class president Meghan Cole described as a “great
turnout” among the juniors — 142 out of 202 signed the pledge —
Canton ultimately fell short of the eligibility requirements, as
just under half of the seniors got on board. Even Cole, who felt
that most who signed the pledge took it seriously, acknowledged
that “some ignored the agreement and tanned regardless.”
“I think the
kids really lose sight of how dangerous excessive tanning is,”
noted Donnelly, who admitted that even she isn’t as vigilant as
she should be with her own family.
According to
the skin cancer foundation, just one “blistering sunburn” in
childhood more than doubles a person’s chances of getting
melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — later in life.
And it’s not just sunburns that put a person at risk.
Tanning, by
definition, is the genetic damage done to skin cells by
ultraviolet rays (UVA and UVB); and the more a person tans and
the younger he or she starts, the more likely it is the person
will end up with melanoma.
According to
medical experts, indoor tanning — a $5 billion-a-year industry
that is growing in popularity — can be even more dangerous than
lying in the sun. The Melanoma Foundation of New England has
reported that “using a tanning bed for 20 minutes is equivalent
to spending one to three hours a day at the beach with no sun
protection at all,” and that “tanning beds put out three to six
times the amount of radiation given off by the sun.”
Indoor
tanning can also lead to skin aging, immune suppression, and eye
damage, including cataracts and ocular melanoma, and many salons
have been known to exceed “safe” UV limits set by the FDA. The
average salon in North Carolina, for example, was recently found
to exceed FDA limits by 95 percent.
But as much
as the current generation has been raised on sun-block and are
aware of the risks of skin cancer, the fact still remains that,
as a teenager, it is hard not to feel invincible.
Cole
admitted as much in a recent interview via email, noting that
most high school students are aware of the dangers of tanning,
but most “feel they will not be a victim to developing a
tanning-related cancer.”
“In the
summer, students will use sun-block to protect [themselves] from
the sun, but a tanning booth does not offer any protection,”
said Cole. “Because most girls use tanning booths several weeks
prior to prom, they do not believe that a short exposure to the
UVA rays will cause long-term effects.”
“Most girls
want to have a glow to their skin and tanning seems to be the
only solution,” she added. “Girls with a tan feel more
attractive and gain more self-confidence. The media has also
influenced today’s youth by placing so much emphasis on the
outer appearance that many are willing to risk their health to
look beautiful.”
Among those
who used to be willing take that risk is Kelly Pedroia, wife of
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Kelly was diagnosed with
melanoma at age 18 after years of frequent tanning, and she
continued to tan until the age of 22, disregarding the
three-inch scar in her leg left from surgery.
Now, she is
a spokeswoman for the Melanoma Foundation, and recently, in her
apartment that overlooks Fenway Park, she drew the names of the
winners of the no-tanning pledge contest. A school in
Connecticut won the grand prize, and nearby Norton High School
received one of the five $1,000 prizes.
And while
Canton did not get its name in the drawing this year, it is
Donnelly’s belief that the experience was well worth it anyway.
“At least
they’ve taken a few minutes to think about it,” she said. “Even
if it was just for 30 seconds, hopefully something sinks it.
It’s one little baby step.”
June 5, 2008
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