Addicted to Tanning – New Study Reveals Tanning Is Comparable to Heroin Use

Published May 28, 2010

As many as one-third of young people who use indoor tanning beds may be addicted to the behavior. This, according to researchers, suggests that tanning activates the same part of the brain triggered by drug dependence.

More than one-third of college students participating in the study admitted they know the dangers of over-exposure to ultraviolet rays, including the often-fatal skin cancer melanoma, but continue to tan. The skin cancer warnings get brushed aside for several reasons including relaxation, mood enhancement, and socialization.

The study, which was released Monday in the Archives of Dermatology, also discovered that those who met the criteria for addiction also demonstrated higher levels of anxiety and much higher rates of substance abuse.

The combination of this study with the recently passed Tanning Tax that made it through Congress to help fund Health Care reform, makes the future look bleak and pasty for tanning salon owners and employees. It has been estimated that as many as 9,000 jobs may be lost because fo the bill, even though the tax will probably fail to generate the $2.7 billion Congress hopes for.

A quick Internet search for “addicted to tanning” results in dozens of articles, including the latest from The New York Times yesterday that suggests tanning gives some people a high similar to heroin use. The Times reported that regular tanners were also more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and a higher use of alcohol and other substances. So what’s the cure? Perhaps using your high speed Internet to Google images of melanoma.

Lincoln Wilder loves all things entertainment. His weekly music blog is a compilation of celebrity madness, album reviews, concert news, & sleezy celebrity drama; always written with absolute honesty and irresistible hints of sarcasm. Armed with only a laptop and Qwest high speed Internet, Wilder surfs the streams for the latest and not always greatest of the music world. If it involves music and is notable, it’s on his blog. While some call it madness, he calls it living, (not “a living,” as that would suggest compensation of some kind). Wilder does what he does purely for the joy of it, and is always open to the suggestions of his followers.

Addicted to Tanning – New Study Reveals Tanning Is Comparable to Heroin Use

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