Health officials have often preached about the dangers of indoor tanning. However, a recent study may show just how detrimental the ultraviolet light exposure can be, particularly when looking at other negative habits. A recent study, in fact, suggests that indoor tanning may result in a higher number of cancer cases than smoking alone.

"What we knew is that indoor tanning is linked to skin cancer," Dr. Eleni Linos, the senior author of the study and a dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco, said, via a press release. "What we wanted to find out is how common is exposure in the United States and internationally."

For the study, researchers examined data that was gathered between 1986 and 2012. They compiled information from 88 studies that included nearly 500,000 people in the United States, Australia and 14 other nations in Eastern and Western Europe.

The research showed that nearly 36 percent of the adults stated that they had used a tanning booth before, with up to 55 percent of them being college students. As for teenagers, the rate was 20 percent. Approximately 14 percent of adults said they had used indoor tanning within the past year. Women across all age groups were also more likely than men to participate in tanning.

Through examination of cancer rates, researchers found that every year, there was an estimated 419,000 cases of basal and squamous cell carcinomas, with around 11,000 cases of melanoma that could potentially be linked to indoor tanning. These numbers exceed those estimated to have caused lung cases due to smoking.

According to the authors, smoking causes around 363,000 cases of lung cancer per year.

The authors concluded, according to CBS Houston, "It is time to open the debate about and pursue additional research into appropriate and effective policy and prevention strategies with the potential to significantly reduce skin cancer risks."

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via JAMA Dermatology.