Could Indoor Tanning Lead to Risky Behavior?

Two new studies on teen behavior relative to sun tanning present some surprising results:

The good news is that the percentage of teens who tan indoors has receded  from 25.45% to 20.9% from 2009 to 2011.

Even among the most frequent users, non Hispanic white females age 16 and up, the percentage has decreased from 37% to 29%.

The bad news: among the frequent tanners, risky behavior such as binge drinking, sexual intercourse and illicit drug use are common for about 1/3 of female frequent tanners and less than 10% of male frequent tanners.

Studies in mice have shown that  ultraviolet damage to the skin induce secretion of a complex hormone by the pituitary gland. Half of it stimulate pigmentation of the skin. The other half, beta endorphin,  whose actions are similar to morphine, produce an emotional “high”.

For teens who admit to frequent tanning, it may be advisable to discuss the effects of not only tanning, but also of  other possible risky behaviors.