Indoor tanning is dangerous for teens

Teenagers who use devices for indoor tanning are more likely to be involved in other risky behaviors, according to a new study, Fox News reports.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that using indoor tanning devices was linked to binge drinking, having sex and using unsafe methods to control weight among high school students.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Dermatology have come out against indoor tanning in recent years.

For the new study, the researchers analyzed data from two national surveys of high school students in grades nine through 12 that asked about various behaviors related to their health. The surveys were conducted in 2009 and 2011.

About 16 percent of students said they had used indoor tanning devices in the 2009 survey and about 13 percent reported indoor tanning in the 2011 survey. 

As for other risky behaviors, students who reported indoor tanning were more likely to report binge drinking, having sex and using unhealthy methods to control their weight.

Among girls, illegal drug use and having had sex with four or more partners were also more likely among those who used indoor tanning.

Using steroids that weren't prescribed by a doctor, smoking daily and attempting suicide were more common among male students who used indoor tanning.

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