Study: College students addicted to tanning

SEATTLE, March 16 (UPI) -- Despite the warnings about the dangers of tanning, some youth refuse to give up being "bronzed," says a U.S. study.

The study of 385 college students, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, finds some people may actually be addicted to ultraviolet light.

"Numerous studies have shown increased knowledge of the dangers of overexposure to UV light often fails to change tanning behavior and attitudes, especially among high-risk age groups such as adolescents and young adults," dermatologist Dr. Robin L. Hornung of the University of Washington and the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle said in a statement.

"We also know from previous experiments that UV light causes endorphin release, similar to the euphoric sensation associated with intense exercise commonly referred to as 'runner's high' or other pleasure-seeking behaviors."

In addition, 77 percent of the students with a family member who had skin cancer purposely tanned their skin outdoors, and 45 percent used indoor tanning devices. This finding infers even a personal experience with skin cancer failed to alter tanning behavior, according to Hornung.