Black,+Hannah

Hannah Black

Project One: 

Project Two: Fetal Pig Dissection (Hannah Black, John Besser, Natalie Fagan) [|https://docs.google.com/a/npsdnj.org/presentation/d/1evWHuhs7lMMmpO0pz2paxqupzk3kzZ8ZkhqEXzk7GVE/edit#slide=id.gd572ca72_024]

Project Three:Skin Cancer and Tanning Beds In my opinion, there should be government regulations on the use of tanning beds. Tanning bed safety has been controversial for many years and recent research on the dangers of excessive exposure to UV rays had led people to be more a more wary of laying in the light. In a 2012 article, CNN news brought to light the fact that regular use of tanning beds can lead to a hugely increased chance of developing melanoma. These findings are scary since melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. Removing melanoma is difficult because it invades many parts of the body getting deep in the tissue. Patients who undergo removal are left scarred for life. A study on tanning beds has shown that people who use them have an approximately seventy-five percent higher risk of developing melanoma than people who have not. The statistics are frightening showing that nearly 70,000 Us citizens were diagnosed with melanoma in 2009 and over 8,000 died from it. These numbers are on the rise. Interestingly, the study showed that it wasn't the age at which you started tanning that mattered, but the amount of time spent under the lamp. Due to this fact, I think there should be government age restrictions on the age at which you can use a tanning bed. Young teen's brains are not yet fully developed. They cannot always make informed decisions and are more likely to partake in risky behavior. It is more likely that someone older will make an informed decision about tanning than a teen. Also, if someone starts tanning when they are young, they will probably continue to do so for many years following. This means that they spend many hours under UV rays and have a higher risk of developing melanoma. For these reasons I would urge the FDA to go thorough with its plan to restrict persons under 18's use of tanning beds. The Indoor Tanning Association, of ITS, argues that indoor tanning is healthy and has many benefits. On their website, they cite an article published by the Royal Norwegian Academy of Science. The article says that it is disputable that sun exposure causes melanoma and that it actually "would elevate the vitamin D status... and might result in 4,000 fewer cancer deaths overall." Yet other research seems to fight the Academy's hypothesis. A tan is really the skin's reaction to damage, an attempt to heal it. Also, sun exposure is very different from tanning bed use. When people go to the beach or a park to tan the amount of sunlight they get is variable. Cloud coverage, strength of rays, and other conditions change every day making the amount of sun exposure one gets very inconsistent. When you go to a tanning salon once a week or more, you are regularly exposing yourself to a high-intensity, unchanging amount of UVA and UVB rays. People should have the choice to tan in the sunlight if they desire, but they should be informed of the risks of tanning salon's and the age of use should be limited. Tanning Salon's should be required to give their clients information on the risks of tanning. Some people use tanning beds for dermatological purposes and they should be allowed to continue with that as a form of treatment if they desire. The 2010 healthcare bill introduced by President Obama has been a step in reducing people's use of tanning beds. The bill created a 10% tax to be added for those who use salons. The tanning industry was outraged but the tax and bill passed through the supreme court as constitutional. The tanning industry views this bill as a threat but I feel that it is beneficial. If the public has to pay for national healthcare, those who are knowingly putting themselves in the way of a major health risk should have to literally pay the consequences. This tax is in its own way like a government regulation. It causes people to think about their action sooner. The monetary consequence of tanning comes before the physical consequences making the downsides of tanning more 'present' and realistic. Not only this, but as a doctor from the Academy of Dermatology points out, but putting a federal tax on tanning is a warning to people that they are about to take part in something that is dangerous to their well being. I believe that the tanning tax is a good federal initiative to make money while making citizens aware of tanning's downsides. I also feel that the government should put an age restriction on tanning, not letting those under eighteen years of age go to salons. Restrictions like these make the public more aware of the carcinogenic nature of tanning and help them to make more informed decisions.

http://www.theita.com/ http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/24/news/economy/tanning_tax/

10/20 Presentation (With John Besser): [|http://app.sliderocket.com/app/sliderocket.aspx#o]