Toronto (ECN) - Despite what avid tanners believe, there is no such thing as a "safe" tan. Studies have shown for years that ultraviolet light causes malignant melanoma, in other words, skin cancer. Yet, millions of Americans still ignore the warning and continue to tan.

The biggest myth that people hold to so that they can get that golden brown caramel color, is that tanning beds are safe. Tanning beds emit a higher dose of radiation than the sun, and in a shorter amount of time. The World Health Organization has stated roughly 60,000 people die of overexposure to ultraviolet light each year. Americans have made skin cancer the most commonly found form of cancer, and one in five will be diagnosed with a malignancy in their lifetime.

"This effort to portray tanning and tanning beds as good for health ignores the fact that exposure to ultraviolet radiation represents one of the most avoidable causes of cancer,"  Society of Melanoma Research President David E. Fisher, MD, PhD tells WebMD. "There is no question that this exposure causes thousands of skin cancer deaths a year."

Some campaigns are urging people to get moderate ultraviolet exposure because not only is it safe, but a healthy source of Vitamin D. This is completely false. The sun is a source of Vitamin D, but moderate tanning is not safe or healthy. Sunscreen should always be worn when time is spent in the outdoors, especially in the summer when North America is closer to the sun. Tanning in a tanning bed should be ruled out of the equation

Many believe a tan is a necessary fashion accessory. In fact, when your skin begins to tan, its activating its self defense mechanism against harm. We should not ignore our bodies natural instincts. Would you rather be tan or alive 30 years from now? It's your choice.