Tanning Bed Pledge

Read the tanning facts and take the pledge!

1. The World Health Organization has determined that UV rays from tanning beds cause cancer.
2. People who use tanning beds once a month before the age of 35 increase their melanoma risk by 59%.
3. Melanoma kills one person every 50 minutes. It is the second most common cancer for young adults aged 15-29 years old. Rates for melanoma are increasing faster than nearly all other cancers.
4. It is not safe to tan in the sun or in a tanning booth. Using a tanning bed for 20 minutes is the same as spending 4 hours at the beach with no sun protection at all. Tanning beds put out 3-6 times the amount of radiation given off by the sun.
5. For most people (lighter skinned), 5-10 minutes of unprotected sun 2-3 times a week is enough to help your skin make Vitamin D, which is essential for your health. GETTING MORE SUN WON’T increase your Vitamin D level, but it will increase your risk of skin cancer. Vitamin D also comes from orange juice, milk, fish, and supplements.

If you want to look tan, try a self-tanning product or a safe organic spray tan. Be sure to use sunscreen with SPF30 – 50+, as most self tanners and spray tans do not provide any sun protection.

THE TANNING PLEDGE!

“I pledge not to go tanning prior to the prom or another school sponsored event/dance during the school year. By this, I mean that I will not intentionally tan by lying out in the sun or using tanning beds.

I realize that by getting a tan, I am sharply increasing my chances of developing melanoma, which can be FATAL if not caught in time.

I have read the FACTS OF TANNING and understand the dangers of tanning beds and lying out in the sun.”