Prom-Mad Tanning Teens Cause Melanoma Boom

Teenagers are so obsessed with having good tans for prom that they are ignoring a boom in melanoma.

A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that melanoma in young adults has increased 600% in the last 40 years. It’s even worse among women 18 to 39, where melanoma has increased 800% between 1970 and 2009.

Dermatologists say teens should stop using tanning beds, noting that the increase in melanoma is directly tied to the rise of tanning salons.

The profitable tanning industry disputes the connection, despite the data.