There’s no doubt about it: its winter in Ohio. Many of the students of Hoover are beginning to feel the winter blues, but some have found refuge from the cold, white season in a closed bed flooded with UV lights. Tanning has become a popular way to feel a little more tropical year round. However, there can be potential dangers lurking in the tanning bed.

Most people associate tanning with cancer, but many of the specifics are still unknown.

Health teacher Mrs. Ruch said there is not just one category of skin cancer those who tan should be concerned with, but several kinds.

“There are three types of skin cancer and tanning increases the risk for all of them,” she said.

Unfortunately, teenagers have an even higher risk of experiencing the consequences of the tanning beds because of the stage their cells are undergoing.

“Teens are at a higher risk than adults because their skin cells are still developing at that age,” Ruch said.

Not only are adults at a lower risk to develop cancer, they also are part of the reason teens like to tan.

“I think it’s rough when teens tan because they get parental consent,” Ruch said. “It’s hard to negate the opinion of a parent.”

Ruch still believes that teens are intelligent enough to know the harms of tanning.

“I think that teenagers are aware of the risks but with most unhealthy behaviors they don’t think it will affect them,” she said.

Junior Allison Busby agrees that teens refuse to accept that the risks could affect them.

“I think the people who do know the risks choose not to acknowledge them or just don’t care,” she said. “They think that it would never happen to them.”

For those who do not consider the negative sides of tanning, Ruch believes there is a way to get the message out to students.

“The think the more graphic and scary, the better,” she said.

Busby has another method for teaching teens about the risks.

“In some cases, I don’t think people who tan are aware of the dangers of doing so,” she said. “Before you decide to tan, you really should thoroughly research the risks and dangers of tanning.”

Fortunately, not everyone needs to be taught. Junior Amber Shrigley is cognizant of the dangers, but tanning continues to be enjoyable for two main reasons.

“I tan because it helps clear blemishes on my face,” she said. “I also don’t like to be pale in the winter.”

However, the way tanners are perceived varies among students. For instance, Busby does not have a positive view of tanning obsessed people.

“When I see someone who tans I usually think they look fake,” she said. “It seems that people who tan always tan too much, like they need to do it all the time.”

Though tanning has a bad reputation, not everyone has to face the consequences. Shrigley said she herself has never had major issues but she knows difficulties can occur.

“I know people get burned but other than that I don’t know anyone who has had problems,” she said.

Ruch also knows of friends who have gone through the lighter risks of tanning.

“I’ve seen friends from high school who look 40 years old due to premature aging,” she said.

Sadly, she has observed the more severe consequences too.

“An extended family member died at the age of 37 from melanoma and she was a regular tanner,” Ruch said.

These dangers are a few reasons Busby refrains from tanning.

“I don’t tan because my parents won’t let me,” Busby said. “I also don’t want skin cancer and I don’t want to be an ugly old lady with skin resembling a raisin.”

Although she knows tanning has the potential to be harmful, Busby does not completely despise the idea.

“I think that tanning is awesome,” she said. “I mean who doesn’t want to be tan? Maybe those who tan look better than me now because they are tanner but in 50 years I’ll be the one that looks better because they will be covered in ugly wrinkles.”

Similar to Busby, Shrigley believes that the benefits outweigh the risks. However, she feels that there are worse things that one could do as a replacement for tanning.

“The benefits may outweigh the consequences but that’s ok, she said. “There are a lot of other things that cause cancer, like smoking.”

Busby, on the contrary, feels that tanning is not worth any pain.

“Being tan in Northeast Ohio is definitely not worth getting cancer and dying for,” she said. “But I mean, I guess getting a deadly skin cancer could be a small price to pay for beauty in the form of a fake, sometimes orange, tan, right?”