JULY 24, 2009 — Dermatology industry lobbying groups are holding on to their bogus contention that indoor tanning can be addicting, comparing UV exposure to cigarettes and alcohol. The latest: In an Ohio-based newspaper article.

A U-Weekly.com article at Ohio State University published this week exclaimed, “Like moths to the flame: ‘Tanorexics’ become addicted to the sun’s euphoric rays.”

Smart Tan’s Joseph Levy responded to the story as follows:

“People aren’t ‘addicted’ to sunshine. They are ATTRACTED to it — just like we are attracted to air, water and food,” Levy wrote. “Because derms and chemical companies make so much money telling you to over-use chemical sunscreen they want to make you think that natural attraction is somehow evil. And thus they talk about ‘addiction’ without any real science to support their statements. Ask the dermatologist in your article if her patients are addicted to botox injections because that’s where dermatology makes most of its money today.”

Smart Tan feels the dermatology lobby’s attempts to parallel tobacco addiction to natural human attraction to sunlight — which nature intended — are beyond reprehensible. “The dermatology industry’s leaders are setting themselves up to look more and more ridiculous when they make stronger and stronger statements denying natural biology,” Levy said. “The days of ‘sun scare’ are limited when they take this approach. You can’t just lie to people and think you are going to get away with it because you’re a doctor. Eventually, people wise up.”

To read the U-Weekly article click here.