Welcome  to  Public  health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. For  many  Midwesterners, the  tanning  bed  is  a  necessity  of  life. Now,  it's  also  officially  a  cancer causing  agent  according  to  the  World  Health  Organization. In  a  recent  report,  the  WHO's International  Agency  for  Research  on  Cancer  states that  there  is  a  causal  link  between ultra  violet  radiation  produced by  tanning  beds  and  cancer. Dean  Lazovic, a  University  of  Minnesota cancer  epidemiologist  explains,  well, the  IR  report  looked  at  the  more  recent  evidence  that  has accumulated  on  indoor  tanning  devices and  the  risk  of  skin  cancer. And  have  concluded  that  use  of  these  devices, especially  at  a  young  age, confers  increased  risk  of  developing  melanoma. Specifically,  based  on  this  report  and her  own  research,  Lazovic  offers  advice. The  report  certainly  confirmed that  solar  radiation  is  a  risk  factor. And  there's  not  that  much  difference  between  the  sun  and tanning  beds  with  regard  to the  types  of  UV  that  people  expose  themselves  to, The  prudent  approach  would  be  to  avoid  as much  exposure  to  UV  radiation as  possible  to  reduce  the  risk  of  skin  cancer. With  another  public  health  moment,  I'm  John  Finnegan.