es »m
Unitt,.
The Batt\lion
Vol. 73 No. 99
12 Pages
Tuesday, February 12, 1980
College Station, Texas
USPS 045 360
Phone 845-2611
9. M
Local doctors differ
ver tanning salons
By BECKY SWANSON
City Staff
Recent Food and Drug Administration
eports warning against the hazards of exp-
sure to ultraviolet light — primarily in
nning salons — has led to some con-
oversy in the Bryan-College Station area.
Two Bryan dermatologists have differing
iews on the use of ultraviolet light for
ismetic and medical purposes.
“I’m very much against them (tanning
alons) because of the large amount to ultra-
iolet rays people are exposed to,” Dr. Ter
ry Jones, a Bryan dermatologist, said.
Dr. Clyde Caperton, another Bryan der-
atologist, said, “A normal, healthy person
ill not be adversely affected by controlled
sxposure to ultraviolet rays.”
Caperton said the only people who
vould be adversely affected by ultraviolet
ays are those who are sensitive or allergic
:o sunlight.
Jones said overexposure to ultraviolet
ays is not healthy.
“Fm not much of a sun fan, ” Jones said,
In spite of what the American public
hinks, tanning is not a healthy reaction.”
Jones said exposure to ultraviolet rays
lan lead to skin cancer, premature aging
nd wrinkling, and keratosis — sores that
an become malignant.
Jones said that although he does not use
jltraviolet lights in his practice, they are
jsed by some dermatologists for the treat
ment of certain skin disorders, such as acne
md psoriasis (a hereditary skin disorder
diaracterized by redness and flaking).
"Dermatologists do use ultraviolet light
For certain skin problems,” Jones said.
They are used in specific, selected treat
ment for short periods of time.
“I do not recommend it for any of my
Ipatients,” Jones said. “I discourage them
from even getting in the sun, much less
exposing tbeir whole body to massive
amounts of ultraviolet rays. ”
Dr. Caperton said, “Most dermatologists
don’t feel tanning salons are real dangerous
because the type of lights used requires a
lot of exposure to damage the skin.
“Our concern is not for the average,
ordinary client. Our concern is that there
are people who are sensitive, almost aller
gic to sunlight and may not even know it, ”
Caperton said.
Fair-skinned people, especially those
with red hair and blue eyes, are often sensi
tive to sunlight, Caperton said.
“Ultraviolet light is damaging if you ex
pose yourself to it long enough for a long
enough period of time,” Caperton said. “It
takes years of repeated overexposure to
ultraviolet rays to cause cancer.
“It’s like overeating,” Caperton said,
“overdoing anything isn’t good. ”
Caperton said tanning salons have be
nefits. They allow people a chance to build
up a resistance to sunlight before going on a
vacation or starting an outdoor job so they
will not get a sunburn on their first day, he
said.
Caperton said people with skin disorders
such as acne or psoriasis are instructed to
get a certain amount of sunlight to help
their condition, and tanning salons can
serve as a substitute when it is cold or
raining.
The FDA warns that persons taking high
blood pressure medicine or diuretics, oral
contraceptives containing estrogen, the
anti-diabetes pill and some antibiotics may
become sun-sensitive.
Both dermatologists warn against expo
sure to ultraviolet light — sunlight or sun
lamps — while taking certain medications.
A person taking prescription medication
should check with their doctor to find out if
it causes sun sensitivity, both doctors said.
Caperton said he felt the established,
reputable tanning salons were safe for aver
age, healthy people, but said that ofen the
fly-by-night commercial operations do not
screen clients to make sure they are not
sun-sensitive.
Charles Ray, manager of the Bryan Tan-
trific Sun franchise, said his company
screens all clients for medical problems,
medications and sun-sensitivity before
they begin tanning sessions.
“A girl came in tbe other day and said she
was allergic to the sun and I wouldn’t put
her through the program,” Ray said.
Tantrific, a national franchise of tanning
salons, requires clients to fill out a ques
tionnaire with such questions as:
— Are you taking any drugs which would
cause sensitivity to sunlight?
— Are you in any way allergic to sun
light?
— Natural hair color — do you color your
hair?
— Do you tan easily?
— Do you have oily or dry skin?
— Do you tend to freckle?
— How much exposure to sunlight do
you get per week?
— Are you active in outdoor activities?
— Do you presently use a lotion or mois
turizer?
The answers to questions are run
through a computer. A visit and exposure
time schedule are arranged if the applicant
meets the requirements.
Ray said the Tantrific program is de
signed to build a slow tan to prevent over
exposure and burning.
Exposure time is slowly increased to gra
dually build resistance to ultraviolet rays,
Ray said. If a person shows any sensitivity
or redness, the exposure time is decreased.
If the sensitivity is severe enough, the
program is discontinued.
In order to protect the client’s eyes from
ultraviolet rays, special goggles are used,
Ray said.
Trantrific, Inc. officials announced in
December that the equipment used in
their franchised salons “meets or exceeds
(the FDA) standards” for eye protection,
timer control, minimum use distance and
certain construction, mechanical and elec
trical requirements.
Ray said the program is safe and benefi
cial for both medical and cosmetic pur
poses.
“If someone is concerned or has ques
tions, I tell them to talk to their doctor
about it,” Ray said.
Many joggers and athletes come to the
salon, be said.
Dr. Caperton said anyone thinking about
going to a tanning salon should follow a few
simple rules:
— check with your doctor about any
medications being taken to find out if they
cause sun-sensitivity.
— follow all directions and rules of the
salon.
— only stay in the booth for the time
allotted and don’t overdo it.
Charles Ray, manager of the Tantrific Sun Tanning salon in Bryan, shows one
of the booths in which customers are exposed to ultraviolet light to hasten skin
tanning. Staff photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr.
Bryan puts clamp
on local wreckers
Trash explosion injures 2
By ANGELIQUE COPELAND
Campus Staff
Chemicals from a park dumpster at the
comer of Montclair and Luther in College
Station exploded in the back of a city gar
bage truck injuring two men Monday.
Chief Landua of the College Station Fire
Department, said the workers had just
emptied the dumpster when there was a
I smail explosion and smoke started coming
from the back of the truck.
The men then backed the truck up to a
garden hose in the yard of the house across
the street. When the water hit the chemic
als, Landua said there was another explo
sion that “shook the windows in houses
down the street.”
The explosion also threw garbage and
glass into the trees near the house.
The men, Johnny Ray Williams and
Hulon Young were taken to the city physi
cian and treated for hand and facial burns.
Landua said the truck was not damaged.
“We took the truck and emptied it in a
separate, remote area of the city’s dumping
ground,” Landua said.
“We don’t know if it was one chemical or
a mixture that caused the explosion, but it
was the combination with water that made
them explode,” he said. “When we were
watering down the yard there would be
occasional flash-ups.”
Landua said they were not sure who had
put the chemicals in the dumpster that is
supposed to be used only by the park, but
that they had a “pretty good idea” that
someone in the neighborhood had put
them there.
Landua said that a combination of house
hold chemicals could not have caused the
explosion. “These are the kind of chemicals
you find in all the labs on campus,” Landua
said.
By LAURA RUTHERFORD
City Reporter
After Monday, when a car is towed away
in Bryan, the owner won’t need to search
city-wide for the company that towed it, or
mortgage his house to pay the towing
charge.
The Bryan City Council made the follow
ing changes Monday in the present city
ordinance about the towing of unautho
rized vehicles.
— The wrecker company must report
the removal of any unauthorized vehicle to
the police department within one hour af
ter towing.
The wrecker company must report the
time, date and location of the removal to
the police department.
Rio Airlines workers were “out on a wing” at Easterwood Airport trying to
right a company plane which lost a wheel while taxiing before a scheduled
take-off on Thursday. None of the plane’s 12 passengers or crew members
were reported as injured. But, as co-pilot Fred Arbuckle (far left) said,
“It’s a good thing it was an easy landing coming in.”
Staff photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr.
— The wrecker company must provide
the physical description and license plate
number of the vehicle to the police.
— The wrecker company must provide
the location where the vehicle is stored to
the police.
— The wrecker company must provide a
telephone number the company can be
reached at on a 24-hour basis for tbe release
of impounded vehicles to the owner.
—The wrecker company is now limited
to a miximum $25 charge for towing unau
thorized vehicles.
An unauthorized vehicle is any car towed
without the owner’s permission.
The city council decided (4-3) to get the
public’s opinion of a city mass transporta
tion system before applying for grant
money. Bryan residents will vote on the
issue during the municipal elections, April
5.
The mass transit system would cost an
initial $165,000, for buses and other captial
investments. The annual operating cost
would be $227,000. The yearly cost would
be greater than the initial cost because the
high price of fuel.
Councilman Henry Seale said this sys
tem would increase property taxes by 13
cents.
The tax, which was raised 13 cents in
early August, is a 60 cent tax per $100 of the
assessed value of the property. If this tax
was raised by 13 cents, the owner of a
$40,000 house, now paying $240, would
pay a tax of $292, an increase of $52.
Council members disagreed on the feasi
bility of the system.
Seale said he didn’t think people would
want the system once they understood the
cost.
Councilman Joe Hanover, a member of
the Urban Transportation Committee, said
the city would need the transit system in a
few years.
Mayor Richard Smith said, “I believe
we’re a long way from people riding it.”
Councilman Pies Turner said he thought
people would be interested in the system in
the if the price of gasoline rose to $2 a
gallon.
Since Bryan residents will vote on a re
venue bond at the municipal election, Sea
le said he didn’t want the mass transit sys
tem issue to be on the ballot. He said he
didn’t want any negative controversary
associated with the election.
Smith said he doesn’t care if the public
votes on the system at the election or not as
long as they understand that the vote is just
a measurement of public support for the
system to see if the council should pursue a
grant.
The council bought 11 new vehicles for
the police department at a cost of $66,498.
City manager Ernest Clark said the cars
would be delivered in about 90 days.
In other action, the council commended
KAMU-TV, channel 15, for public service
to local residents an made Feb. 15 “KAMU
Public Television Day.”
Related editorial, pg. 2
Bus routes
remain
unchanged
By RICHARD OLIVER
Staff Writer
Although the death ofTexas A&M Univer
sity student Steve Sikora has touched off a
few questions about the safety of shuttlebus
routes off-campus, no routes will be
changed this spring.
Gene Oates, chairman of the Shuttlebus
Operations Committee, said Monday the
group met last week to discuss whether
changes should be made, but decided no
thing would be done this semester.
“At the end of the spring, all the routes
are re-evaluated,” he said. “Any changes
which need to be made will become effec
tive in the fall. ”
Sikora, a freshman transfer student, was
killed Jan. 28 when a car went out of control
at the intersection of Krenek Tap Road and
Texas Ave. The car hit another car, serious
ly injuring the driver, then struck Sikora,
who was waiting for a shuttlebus on the side
of the road.
The Battalion received a letter from sev
eral A&M students saying the shuttlebus
stop at the intersection was dangerous be
cause students have to stand in a ditch close
to the highway.
Linda Northcutt, manager of Oak Forest
Mobile Home Park on Krenek Tap Road,
said she talked to Oates Monday about the
dangerous situation at the intersection, but
he told her the route would not be changed
any time soon.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be re
routed,” she said. “The main reason he
gave me is changing the route would add
more time to the route. It would take five to
seven minutes to reroute the bus another
part of the highway.
“I was just disheartened. I think my
problem lies with the (Shuttlebus) commit
tee. It (the bus stop) is very dangerous.”
Northcutt said she will attend the next
meeting of the Shuttlebus Operations
Committee in April, and present her objec
tions again.
Oates said he believed the shuttlebus
stop was not the cause of the accident.
“That same accident could happen any
where, anytime,” he said. “It could happen
on any other bus route.”
Gang also
takes van
By JAN EVANS
Campus Reporter
When robbers took a safe from the Stu
dent Publications Office over the weekend,
they also took a university van to transport
it.
The safe was reported missing first, but
police later learned that a van had been
stolen also.
Both the van and the safe were found
Monday. The safe still contained some cash
and a tape recorder.
University Police Chief Russ McDonald
said police spotted the van abandoned off
the East Bypass. They searched the area
and found the safe about 150 yards from the
road.
McDonald said the safe had been opened
with a cutting torch. It is not known
whether any of the money known to be in
the safe had been taken. Police will first
have to check the safe for fingerprints. But
McDonald said it looks like about $100 is
missing.
The safe was stolen from the Student
Publications Office on the second floor of
the Reed McDonald Building sometime
between midnight Saturday and noon
Sunday.
A desk drawer had been pried open in
the communications department on the
third floor, but nothing was missing. Police
have not determined whether the incidents
are related.
Prison may
make room
for an inn !i
United Press International
OKLAHOMA CITY — Saying it
would be just like stopping at a motel, a
state senator has proposed that prison
ers be permitted conjugal visits with
their spouses in special quarters inside
prison walls.
“Conjugal privileges among married
prisoners,” said Sen. Melvin Porter, D-
Oklahoma City, “would reduce tensions
within the prison, offer responsibility
and hope and would demonstrate a be
neficial effect upon discipline.”
Porter introduced a resolution Mon
day urging the state Corrections De
partment to set up the system. In urging
passage he told the Senate his resolution
was “merely to permit conjugal visita
tion rights.”
Porter proposed that prisoners be
permitted to construct their own quar
ters within the walls for such visits and
that several prisoners share the same
facility on a visit reservation basis.
“It would be just as if you were travel
ing and stopped at a motel,” Porter said.
The Senate voted to refer the resolu
tion to the Rules Committee after Sen.
John Young, D-Sapulpa, suggested the
proposal could “give rise to debate.”