To the Editor:

I am writing in support of a New Hampshire House bill which would prohibit kids younger than 18 from using carcinogenic UV indoor tanning facilities.

I started using tanning beds at 16, convinced they mitigated acne. Though I was aware of the risks, my teenage insecurities vastly outweighed any health concerns. I didn’t think I was putting myself in danger by tanning a few times during a bout of acne or before formal dances.

At 23, I was diagnosed with melanoma. I was stunned. My doctor told me the worst-case scenario was I had six months to live. Fortunately, the cancer had not spread and the melanoma was removed. Still, the experience made a huge impact on my life. Today, I feel anxious whenever the sun is shining down on me. Nothing stopped me from entering that tanning salon as a naïve teenager and I often wonder how different my life would be if something had.

It is just as crucial to regulate tanning as it is to keep teens from buying cigarettes. Of the estimated 400 melanoma cases in New Hampshire this year, 50 people will die from the disease. I sincerely hope elected officials support this bill on Wednesday, March 19.

NICOLE PAGE

Merrimack