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Berlin (pte050/02.06.2003/17:15) - The German "Krebshilfe" cancer support group http://www.krebshilfe.de has warned against excessive visits to tanning salons
The group claims many of the tanning booths are out-of-date and that clients should know that each visit increases their risk of getting skin cancer. Each year in Germany 120,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed, from which about 3,000 people die.
The German Krebshilfe and Dermatological Prevention Working Group have joined forces with a "Solarium Round Table" organised by the Federal Office for UV Protection to design and enforce a new certification for tanning salons. The certificate goes into effect today, Monday.
With 16 million people visiting tanning salons regularly, Germany is a European leader in artificial tanning. The studios have a yearly turnover of about four to five billion euros.
The Krebshilfe cancer support group is demanding that clients be informed of the risks. It also demands that tanning booths be regularly maintained and updated. Finally, it points out what doctors have known for several years now: that artificial UV light may be different from natural UV light, but can still cause skin cancer and temporarily harm the body's immune system. The UV-A waves generated in the tanning booths also speed up the skin's aging process.
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