Dear Editor:
Did you know that in 2018 New York State passed a law that anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from using indoor tanning facilities? Cancer Prevention in Action educates and increases awareness of this law in Lewis, Jefferson, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties.
Ultraviolet radiation from tanning beds and sun lamps cause skin cancer. Indoor tanning is more intense than natural sun exposure. Tanning devices give off high levels of ultraviolet radiation in a short amount of time. Tanned skin is damaged skin and this damage cannot be reversed. Most of a person’s lifetime skin damage happens before age 18 from sun burning or tanning. Skin cancer is on the rise in NYS. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer is increasingly affecting younger people more than ever. Every year about 4,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with melanoma and nearly 500 lives are lost. The action New York State has taken to protect its youth from indoor tanning will help prevent skin cancer for generations to come.
Parents play an important role in influencing their children. Parents can model healthy behavior by wearing sun protection themselves while outdoors, and by not participating in indoor tanning. It is important to start conversations early with your child about the dangers of indoor tanning and methods for protecting skin from damage. For more information about Cancer Prevention in Action call 315-261-4760 or visit www.takeactionagainstcancer.com
Start now to love the skin you are in!
Leanna Cleveland
Oswego County Opportunities
**CPIA is supported by New York State.
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