February 4

'Tanning bed therapy' photo contradicts warning

Letter to the Editor

I am writing in response to the photo labeled "Tanning bed therapy" published in the Morning Sentinel on Jan. 24.

The caption had the ring of an ad: "Come in and get warm and light to ward off the cold."

That seeming endorsement and the word "therapy" are in direct contradiction to the excellent coverage you gave to the "Tanning is Out, Your Skin is In" contest last March.

As the pre-prom tanning season accelerated, you reminded your readers about the many risks of tanning beds, including "three to six times more radiation than the sun" and tanning bed use "before the age of 35 increases (the) risk of developing melanoma (cancer) by 75 percent."

Thank you for taking note of the work of the nurse and other staff members at SAD 74 as we strive to inform our students so they can make good decisions.

In light of the glaring contradiction about tanning, I wonder if you'll be touting passing a bottle of bourbon around the ice fishing shack as another way people can "get warm" and "ward off the cold."

Doug Woodsum

Smithfield

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