Binge drinking is nothing new - and now there’s another binge activity parents need to worry about...

Is your teen getting tanner?

Binge tanning is on the rise and it’s a big problem. It tends to get worse at this time of year with young people cramming in a lot of tanning leading up to events such as proms, graduations and vacations. Dr. Susan Swetter, of the Stanford Cancer Institute says tanning is bad but binge tanning can be deadly. She says repeated tanning sessions are an extreme assault to our DNA and that it triggers harmful changes in cells that result in melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer.

Consider this: Tanning beds emit twelve times as many UVA rays as the noonday sun and twice as many UVB rays. Lying in a tanning bed once a day for a week increases your risk by 75% - and that damage will NOT fade with your tan.