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Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
10/27/07
Protecting children from harmful ultraviolet
radiation.
I am sure all will agree, it was a long, hot summer.
There was very little rain and therefore very few
clouds. The sun was bright shinning all summer long.
How much time did you spend in the sun? Did you use sun
screen to protect your skin? Did you know that the
effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation are
accumulative? That beautiful bronze tan is actually the
outward sign of skin damage. During my recent annual
physical examination, my doctor commented on the fact
that my back showed signs of long term sun damage. I
remember growing up with an above ground pool in my
backyard and yes, come to think of it, I would
occasionally get a sun burn. Well, those effects have
stayed with me. They might come back to haut me some
day.
For the past several weeks, The House Health Committee
that I am a member of has been receiving testimony from
both proponents and opponents regarding House Bill 230
that if passed into law would restrict those persons
under the age of 18 from using commercial tanning beds
without a doctor’s prescription.
The evidence is overwhelming. The ultraviolet radiation
used in these tanning salons causes skin cancer. The
ultraviolet radiation from the light tubes used in
tanning beds (as well as coming from overexposure to
real sunlight) damages the DNA inside each skin cell.
The skin cell can usually repair itself… but only so
many times. Those cells that cannot be repaired can
turn into cancerous cells. Eighty percent of skin damage
occurs before the age of 18. This is scientific
evidence backed up with statistical evidence. It is not
conjecture, it is not anecdotal, and it is not emotional
evidence. It is real hard science fact.
Recently, my office has been deluged with letters from
credible scientists and doctors each espousing the
dangers of tanning bed radiation to young and sensitive
skin. The tanning bed industry states that a mere 20
minutes in the tanning bed equals 5 hours of
sunbathing. Very few people sunbathe for 5 hours so you
can see how easy it would be to constantly over-expose
oneself to this radiation. It is too dangerous to let
our youth, who are most vulnerable to this skin damage,
be exposed to tanning bed radiation.
During the committee process, we had doctors and
scientists testify as to the radiation effects and how
this bill would help in reducing the incidence of a
hideous disease. We also heard from moms and dads whose
children were diagnosed with, and subsequently died
from, skin cancer. Some of these children were young
and some were well into their adult years. These
parents all testified how they were oblivious to the
dangers of tanning bed radiation when they let their
children go to get a tan.
Skin cancer in young people is rising at an alarming
rate. Melanoma (a form of skin cancer) is now the
second most common cancer in women aged 20-29. The
incidence of melanoma has increased 690% from 1950 to
2001. The rate at which people die from skin cancer has
increased 165% during this same time.
The American Academy of Dermatology states that this
bill would help reduce the alarming increases in skin
cancer by protecting children from this known
carcinogen. Their goal is to educate the public,
especially parents, and to reduce the incidence and
mortality rate in the next 10 years.
In the mean time, think twice before you let your child
go to the tanning salon. Go on-line and do the research.
You might be saving a lot of heartache later.
For those who have any thoughts on the matter, please
feel free to either call me or send me an email with
your comments. I’d love to hear from you.
Simply call me at my office at (614-466-8134) or write
me an email (Joe@JoeUecker.com).
Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
Ohio’s
66 District
Representing
Batavia, Goshen, Miami and Union Townships as well as the
Cities of Loveland and Milford and the Villages of Batavia
and Amelia.
Columbus Phone:
614-466-8134
Local Phone:
513-532-0912
Email:
Joe@JoeUecker.com
Website:
http://JoeUecker.com |
