Merry Christmas!

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope that this day is filled with overflowing joy, love, and compassion.

Fritz and Family

Fritz Welcomes the Proposed Tanning Bed Tax

While the U.S. Senate appears to have the necessary 60 votes to pass its version of health care reform, this evening I am cheering one of the latest amendments to this legislation.  A 10% tax on tanning bed services is included in the Senate version of this historical bill. I believe that this tax is a positive first step towards bringing much needed attention to this dangerous business. There is already some criticism that the tanning bed tax will affect the middle class more than the plastic surgery tax that it replaced in this legislation. We are hopeful that this criticism is correct. If so, then it will be the middle class that is discouraged from potential deadly exposure to tanning beds. See my previous blogs on tanning beds at http://fritzsword.blogspot.com/2009/12/go-with-your-own-glow.html and http://fritzsword.blogspot.com/2009/11/beyond-pink-ribbons_09.html.

Similar to the dangers of cigarette smoking, tanning bed exposure not only increases the probability of incurring life-threatening cancer, but also is a financial burden to our already tapped out health care system. I applaud the proposed 10% tax on tanning bed services and encourage you to do the same.

Thank you.

Fritz

"Go With Your Own Glow!"

“I almost killed myself over a stupid tan”. This comment is from Mary Ann Gerber, diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma skin cancer prior to her 25^th birthday. Ms. Gerber was featured along with another young skin cancer survivor, in a Good Morning America special report on the risks of indoor tanning. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8209376 .

Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist from New York City, is very concerned about the dangers of tanning beds. She is not alone. The World Health Organization recently sounded off its alarm by classifying tanning beds in its highest risk category, “carcinogenic to humans”.

http://fritzsword.blogspot.com/2009/11/beyond-pink-ribbons_09.html

“Go with your own glow” is the advice that Dr. Day shares with her many viewers and patients. She is a frequent guest for several television shows including The Discovery Channel, CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America’s special that featured Ms. Gerber’s story. When asked what the safe amount of time was in a tanning bed, her reply was “zero”.

Ms. Gerber would not argue with Dr. Day’s advice. After her first surgery that removed the Melanoma’s from her face and lower back, and a few lymph nodes, she faced two follow-up surgeries. The second surgery removed the remaining lymph nodes on the left side of her neck, nearly 30 of them. A third surgery followed to remove a basal cell carcinoma found in the first surgery. Ms. Gerber faces a challenging life ahead. Per the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate for Stage 3 Melanoma can range between 27-56%.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_melanoma_staged_50.asp?sitearea=

“Go with your own glow” is sounding better all the time. To learn more about Dr. Day, you can visit her Web page at http://www.myclearskin.com/AboutUs/DorisDayMD/tabid/55/Default.aspx .

Please help us get the word out to the kids and young adults in all of our communities about the dangers of tanning beds. Please share the link to our site, www.FritzsWord.com ,with anyone that you believe might benefit from this information.

Thank you!

Fritz