Tanning bed talk: advice for parents.

• Position: Winter

With winter just about here, many teens soon will look to tanning beds to reignite their summer tans. Pediatric oncologists urge parents to have "the tanning bed talk" with their kids, and they offer advice on initialing this conversation.

"Using tanning beds before age 30 increases a person's risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75%, research shows," warns Dennis Hughes, assistant professor of pediatrics at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, Houston, Texas. "So, it's important to talk to your kids about tanning beds just like you'd discuss smoking, sex, drugs, and alcohol."

Data indicates that 35% of 17-year-old girls have used tanning beds, and tanning salons are increasingly prevalent, with an analysis of 116 U.S. cities showing that, on average, tanning salons outnumber Starbucks and McDonald's.

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Hughes offers these tips for discussing the situation:

Start the talk early. Tanning beds can become addictive. One study showed that 80% of college-age tanning bed users could not kick the habit. "This is why it's so important to talk to your kids before they ever start tanning."

Discuss the risks in adolescents' terms. Since teens often think they are...