Why Tanning and Smoking Are Popular Even Though the Public Knows They Cause Cancer
Despite the increasing awareness that tanning and smoking can cause cancer, people still continue to do them. Tanning beds expose users to ultraviolet (UV) light, which can lead to cancer, but they are still very popular. The dangers of smoking are in many advertisements and newspapers. There is an increase on smoking restrictions, including restrictions on smoking in public places in the United States. However, the tobacco industry continues to thrive. It is important to understand why people continue to go to tanning salons and smoke despite warnings of side effects to find a more efficient way to promote a healthy lifestyle for cancer prevention.
Figure 1 – This is the pathway that UV light takes in the skin. The tumor-suppressor gene p53 is activated. This leads to a transcription of target genes including the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene that increases the release of alpha-melanocyte-releasing hormone. The hormone then signals the melanocortin 1 receptor on the melanocyte, creating the tanning response.
(Source: Dermatology Today. Reproduced from The New York Journal of Medicine and originally from Barsh and Attardi)
The general public needs to be more aware of the dangers of tanning. Studies have shown that the majority of indoor tanners are motivated to tan for attractive skin, relaxation, and warmth (Mathys 1999). Some people believe that tanning beds are a way to get a “safe tan” in which people can take advantage of being in sunlight without being in danger of getting too little or too much sun (Koo 2010). However, according to Figure 1, tanning cannot happen without DNA damage (Koo 2010). Even if there is no sign of physical damage such as sunburn, there is still a higher risk of skin cancer because levels UV radiation needed to cause damage are lower than the levels needed to cause inflammation (Koo 2010). Doing indoor tanning is associated with a higher risk of the skin cancer melanoma and is especially risky for those under 35 (International Agency for Research 2006). In addition, indoor tanning has an addictive quality because UV light causes endorphin release (Robinson 2008). This may explain findings that even though from 1986 to 1996 the public became more aware of that tanning can cause skin cancer, there was an increase in the regular use of tanning booths (Warthan 2005). Tanning produces immediate results that bring happiness while getting skin cancer can take years or decades. Those who want to tan despite the evidence that tanning can cause skin cancer should look for alternatives such as spray tanning.
Smoking is a widely known cause of lung cancer, but it is still a serious problem. Young adults from ages 16 to 24, both smokers and non-smokers, participated in a focus group study that had a goal of studying why some young adults smoked despite cancer risks (Gough 2009). There are stickers on cigarette boxes that have health warnings, but they became so normalized that some young adults have become desensitized to those health warnings (Gough 2009). Smoking is an everyday occurrence in some places so health warnings don’t have any influence. In addition, there are so many studies that pinpoint many things such as diet coke and alcohol as causes of cancer that smoking seems tamer comparison (Gough 2009). The advertisements against smoking can actually cause people to smoke more because they instigate anxiety and stress (Gough 2009). They also don’t feel that smoking is an immediate health concern. They feel that they will get sick decades later, when they turn fifty (Gough 2009). The immediate benefits of relief from stress and anxiety and the benefits of being accepted into a society in which virtually everyone smokes are more important. There needs to be research into changing advertisements into something more influential and impactful, without making smokers want to go for another smoke. There needs to be a way to teach young adults that bad health from smoking doesn’t happen in the far future, but that it starts with the first cigarette.
Tanning and smoking may not lead to cancer for years or decades, but the risks of bad health begin from the first day. The general public knows about the risks, but the immediate results of having attractive skin, feeling great, and fitting in are more important for day to day life. Finding a way for people to feel the urgency of stopping tanning or smoking needs to be researched.
Works Cited
Mathys P, Moser M, Bressoud D, Ackermann-Liebrich U, Braun-Fahrländer C. Frequency, duration and motivation of sun-bed use in Switzerland. Epidemiology 1999: 10: S.117.
Robinson JK, Kim J, Rosenbaum S, Ortiz S. Indoor tanning knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among young adults from 1988–2007. Arch Dermatol 2008: 144: 484–488.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer on Cancer Working Group on Artificial Ultraviolet (UV). The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: A systematic review. International Journal of Cancer 2006: 120: 1116-1122.
Warthan MM, Uchida T, Wagner Jr RF. UV Light Tanning as a Type of Substance-Related Disorder. Arch Dermatol 2005: 141: 963-966.
Woo DK, Eide MJ. Tanning beds, skin cancer, and Vitamin D: an examination of the scientific evidence and public health implications. Dermatologic Therapy 2010: 23: 61-71.
