CONCORD, Mass., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The second most common cancer among teens and young adults 15-29 is melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. It's no coincidence that the sharp increase in melanoma in recent years is tied to tanning. The World Health Organization puts soaking up UV rays in the same category as smoking cigarettes. If you use a tanning bed once a month and are under 35, your chance of getting melanoma increases by 75%. The picture is pretty clear (and scary), and it's also why the Melanoma Foundation of New England has initiated Your Skin Is In, a program to warn teens and young adults about the dangers of tanning and tanning beds.

The Foundation's executive director, Deb Girard, explains that Your Skin Is In features a No-Tanning Pledge Program and contest with cash awards, gift certificates, tickets to Six Flags New England, and more. Girard notes that Six Flags New England will hold its annual melanoma awareness this summer.

The Brigham and Women's Hospital's Department of Dermatology in Boston has sponsored Your Skin Is In since its inception and according to Dawn Ferrazza, Executive Director, "Our goal is to educate teens and young adults about the dangers of tanning and the importance of early detection and prevention."

To register for Your Skin Is In, visit www.mfne.org. The college contest closes March 16, and the high school contest April 2.  Early entrants include UMass (Amherst), Tufts, University of Rhode Island, University of New Hampshire, University of Maine (Orono), Southern Connecticut State University, Wellesley College, and St. Michael's College in Vermont. And new this year is a Student Challenge for students to take a stand against tanning by creating a PSA, song or contacting their legislators.

Here's what college student and former tanner Kelsey Green recently said: "When I agreed to appear in the Foundation's public service announcement on tanning, it changed my life. I got the facts about how dangerous UV rays are and that tanning beds emit three to six times more UV radiation than the sun. I stopped tanning and started seeing a dermatologist regularly. And, I have to admit, I love the way my skin looks now."

Over the next few months, the Foundation will send melanoma survivors to speak at schools throughout New England. They will tell their stories and urge teens to forget about tanning and take the No-Tanning Pledge contest. Since 2008, the program has reached over 250,000 high school and college students.

The Melanoma Foundation of New England is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the importance of early detection and prevention, helping patients and their caregivers cope with melanoma, and advocating for tanning bed restrictions. The Melanoma Foundation of New England was founded in 1999 and is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.

Contact:
Amy Mason
Melanoma Foundation New England
800-557-6352
amason@mfne.org

SOURCE Melanoma Foundation of New England

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http://www.mfne.org