跳至主要内容

Indoor Tanning, Sunbathing, and the Hazard of Skin Cancer: The Effect of the Tan Tax

Read  full  paper  at:
http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53715#.VNByDCzQrzE

Author(s)  

ABSTRACT
In July2010, a10 percent federal sales tax on indoor tanning, known as the tan tax, went into effect. Applauding the imposition of the new tax, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) foresees that by discouraging indoor tanning, the tan tax will significantly reduce the risk of skin cancer and consequently the future costs of its treatment, currently amounting to $1.8 billion each year. Recognizing, however, that an alternative to indoor tanning may be the riskier practice of sunbathing, the present paper offers a rational-choice model for addressing the individual’s indoor and outdoor tanning decisions, which is applied to examining his or her response to the imposition of a tan tax and the consequent effect on the hazard of developing skin cancer. The paper challenges the AAD’s forecast, identifying conditions under which a tan tax will rather exacerbate the hazard of skin cancer.
 
Cite this paper
Yaniv, G. and Siniver, E. (2015) Indoor Tanning, Sunbathing, and the Hazard of Skin Cancer: The Effect of the Tan Tax. Theoretical Economics Letters, 5, 36-43. doi: 10.4236/tel.2015.51007.
 
References
[1]Fisher, G.J., Wang, Z.Q., Datta, S.C., Varani, J., Kang, S. and Voorhees, J.J. (1997) Photophysiology of Premature Skin Aging Induced by Ultraviolet Light. The New England Journal of Medicine, 337, 1419-1429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199711133372003
 
[2]National Cancer Institute (2010) What You Need to Know about? Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers. http://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/wyntk-skin-cancer
 
[3]Heckman, C.J., Coups, E.J. and Manne, S.L. (2008) Prevalence and Correlates of Indoor Tanning among USA Adults. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 58, 769-780. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2008.01.020
 
[4]Lazovich, D.A., Isaksson Vogel, R., Berwick, M., Weinstock, M.A., Anderson, K.E. and Warshaw, E.M. (2010) Indoor Tanning and Risk of Melanoma: A Case-Control Study in a Highly Exposed Population. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 19, 1557-1568. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-1249
 
[5]Lim, H.W., Gilchrest, B.A., Cooper, K.D., Bischoff-Ferrari, H.A., Rigel, D.S., Cyr, W.H., Miller, S., DeLeo, V.A., Lee, T.K., Demko, C.A., Weinstock, M.A., Young, A., Edwards, L.S., Johnson, T.M. and Stone, S.P. (2005) Sunlight, Tanning Booths, and Vitamin D. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 52, 868-876. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2005.03.015
 
[6]Poorsattar, S.P. and Hornung, R.L. (2007) UV Light Abuse and High-Risk Tanning Behavior among Undergraduate College Students. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 56, 375-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2006.08.064
 
[7]Stryker, J.E., Yaroch, A.L., Moser, R.P., Atienza, A. and Glanz, K. (2007) Prevalence of Sunless Tanning Product Use and Related Behaviors among Adults in the United States: Results from a National Survey. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 56, 387-390. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2006.08.051
 
[8]Hoerster, K.D., Garrow, R.L., Mayer, J.A., Clapp, E.J., Weeks, J.R., Woodruff, S.L., Sallis, J.F., Slymen, D.J., Patel, M.R. and Sybert, S.A. (2009) Density of Indoor Tanning Facilities in 116 Large USA Cities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 36, 243-246. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2008.10.020
 
[9]World Health Organization (2003) Artificial Tanning Sunbeds: Risks and Guidance. http://www.who.int/uv/publications/en/sunbeds.pdf
 
[10]American Academy of Dermatology (2011) Indoor Tanning Tax Sends Strong Health Message: Indoor Tanning Is Unsafe. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/indoor-tanning-tax-sends-strong-health-message-indoor-tanning-is-unsafe-124776368.html
 
[11]CNN Money (2010) Tanning Salons Burned by Health Care Bill. http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/24/news/economy/tanning_tax/
 
[12]Sayre, R.M. and Dowdy, J.C. (2003) Sunbathing vs. Indoor Tanning: A Realistic Perspective. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine, 19, 105-107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0781.2003.00028.x
 
[13]Peltzman, S. (1975) The Effects of Automobile Safety Regulation. Journal of Political Economy, 83, 677-726. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/260352
 
[14]Evans, W.N. and Farrelly, M.C. (1998) The Compensating Behavior of Smokers: Taxes, Tar, and Nicotine. RAND Journal of Economics, 29, 578-595. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2556105
 
[15]Green, C.G. (2003) Rethinking AIDS Prevention: Learning from Successes in Developing Countries. Praeger Publishers, Westport.
 
[16]Yaniv, G., Rosin, O. and Tobol, Y. (2009) Junk Food, Home Cooking, Physical Activity and Obesity: The Effect of the Fat Tax and the Thin Subsidy. Journal of Public Economics, 93, 823-830. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2009.02.004
 
[17]Fletcher, J.M., Frisvold, D.E. and Tefft, N. (2010) The Effects of Soft Drink Taxes on Child and Adolescent Consumption and Weight Outcomes. Journal of Public Economics, 94, 967-974. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2010.09.005
 
[18]Just, D.R. and Wansink, B. (2011) The Flat-Rate Pricing Paradox: Conflicting Effects of “All-You-Can-Eat” Buffet Pricing. Review of Economics and Statistics, 93, 193-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/REST_a_00057
 
[19]Siniver, E. and Yaniv, G. (2012) All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Entry Price, the Fat Tax and Meal Cessation. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, 12, 1-21.
 
[20]Hillhouse, J.J., Adler, C.M., Drinnon, J. and Turrisi, R. (1997) Application of Azjen’s Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Sunbathing, Tanning Salon Use, and Sunscreen Use Intentions and Behaviors. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 20, 363-378. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1025517130513
 
[21]Turrisi, R., Hillhouse, J.J. and Gebert, C. (1998) Examination of Cognitive Variables Relevant to Sunbathing. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 300-313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1018773101658
 
[22]Woollons, A., Clingen, P.H., Price, M.L., Arlett, C.F. and Green, M.H.L. (1997) Induction of Mutagenic DNA Damage in Human Fibroblasts after Exposure to Artificial Tanning Lamps. British Journal of Dermatology, 137, 687-692. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1997.tb01102.x                               eww150203lx
标签：

评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

Does Immigration Promote the Investment of the Monopolistic Firm?

In the present paper, we examine the effect of increasing uncertainty of immigrants’ growth on the optimal timing of investment of a firm that has a monopolistic power over the labor market. It is revealed that when the uncertainty of immigrants’ growth is more than a threshold level, increasing uncertainty of immigrants’ growth accelerates the optimal timing of firms’ investment and enhances the economic growth, even if the uncertainty of immigrants’ growth is formulated by the geometric Brownian motion, which is in sharp contrast to the standard result that an increase in the uncertainty postpones the optimal timing. With an increase in the immigrants over the past ten years, workforces in the host countries have been growing significantly to the extent that the immigrants represent 70% of the increase in the workforce in Europe, and 47% in the United States as OECD indicates. In the present paper, we attempted to investigate the effect of increased uncertainty caused by the growi...
发表评论
阅读全文

Education Policy Implementation: A Mechanism for Enhancing Primary Education Development in Zanzibar

Education is one of the fundamental rights of individuals; therefore, the government of a country needs to develop and strengthen educational policy and quality as well as to ensure that everyone has equal access to basic education. The improvement of access and quality of education in the world is becoming as an essential factor in development, whereas the basic education (primary school), is acknowledged as a foundation of the higher educational development for every country. To fulfill this goal, governments introduce several policies and procedures; however, it requires some reforms and participation from the politician, policymakers, and other stakeholders to re-examine educational policy so that it can lead to multiplication and betterment of the reforms. Educational reforms actually focus on accountability. A positive educational development and reform is very challenging and needs more effort and strategy on how to use and utilize the resources effectively as such it can achie...
发表评论
阅读全文