As adults, there are things in life that we teach our children and generations after us about their health and safety – eat fruits and vegetables, use oven mitts, don’t drink and drive. But as science continues to evolve and its information becomes more readily available, it’s our responsibility to add “rules” to that list. One that has recently picked up mass attention, and is particularly close to my heart, is the law encouraging tanning restrictions. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (Learn more here) 13 states currently have regulations in place that restrict minors from using tanning beds and the World Health Organization is encouraging lawmakers to increase those restrictions and spread awareness about the dangerous risks of tanning to young adults.
Many people do not understand how dangerous the overexposure to UV rays is; and while the state and national government slowly puts additional regulations in place, it’s our job to generate awareness about UV protection and to tell our stories.
Maybe these shocking statistics will turn a few heads (provided by The Melanoma Foundation):
· Using a tanning bed once a month before the age of 35 increases your chances of melanoma by 75%
· Melanoma kills one person every hour and is the second most common cancer for women aged 25-29
· Rates of melanoma cases are increasing faster than nearly all other cancers
The harm of tanning, whether indoor or on the beach, is something most people are generally aware of. But because there’s no law or mass epidemic causing us to rethink, we go on with our lives believing that something like that could never harm us. And maybe if you’re lucky, it won’t harm you. But for an increasing number of Americans, the affects of melanoma are hitting us right in the heart.
For me; her name was Glenna Kohl. She was a college acquaintance of mine; a blonde, smiling, life of the party, and a very close friend to my husband and many of my dear friends. She was an all-American, beach-loving, Cape-Coder, who was preparing for college graduation when a lump found on her leg tested positive for melanoma. After three years of surgery, remission, chemotherapy, and experimental treatment; the deadly disease took her away in December 2008. She was 26.
Shortly after, with Glenna’s inspirational spirit steering them; her courageous family and friends launched the Glenna Kohl Fund for Hope. The foundation educates people about melanoma and the importance of UV protection; catching the interest of Massachusetts’s State lawmakers and Cosmopolitan magazine (with a feature story in the October 2009 issue). Check out Glenna’s website to learn more about her story: glennasfund.org.
There may not be enough laws cementing the importance of UV protection just yet; but in the meantime it's our responsibility to spread awareness of its magnitude. Knowledge has the power that can lead to change.
Many people do not understand how dangerous the overexposure to UV rays is; and while the state and national government slowly puts additional regulations in place, it’s our job to generate awareness about UV protection and to tell our stories.
Maybe these shocking statistics will turn a few heads (provided by The Melanoma Foundation):
· Using a tanning bed once a month before the age of 35 increases your chances of melanoma by 75%
· Melanoma kills one person every hour and is the second most common cancer for women aged 25-29
· Rates of melanoma cases are increasing faster than nearly all other cancers
The harm of tanning, whether indoor or on the beach, is something most people are generally aware of. But because there’s no law or mass epidemic causing us to rethink, we go on with our lives believing that something like that could never harm us. And maybe if you’re lucky, it won’t harm you. But for an increasing number of Americans, the affects of melanoma are hitting us right in the heart.
For me; her name was Glenna Kohl. She was a college acquaintance of mine; a blonde, smiling, life of the party, and a very close friend to my husband and many of my dear friends. She was an all-American, beach-loving, Cape-Coder, who was preparing for college graduation when a lump found on her leg tested positive for melanoma. After three years of surgery, remission, chemotherapy, and experimental treatment; the deadly disease took her away in December 2008. She was 26.
Shortly after, with Glenna’s inspirational spirit steering them; her courageous family and friends launched the Glenna Kohl Fund for Hope. The foundation educates people about melanoma and the importance of UV protection; catching the interest of Massachusetts’s State lawmakers and Cosmopolitan magazine (with a feature story in the October 2009 issue). Check out Glenna’s website to learn more about her story: glennasfund.org.
There may not be enough laws cementing the importance of UV protection just yet; but in the meantime it's our responsibility to spread awareness of its magnitude. Knowledge has the power that can lead to change.
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