Dec 28, 2013 10:57 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

A new study has revealed that Florida, a state with little need for them, has more indoor tanning facilities than it does McDonald's restaurants or even CVS pharmacies.

According to the Miami Herald, the discovery was a byproduct of a University of Miami (UM) study examining a correlation between skin cancer and geographic locations. The doctors in charge of the study were looking for a link because Florida has the country's second-highest rate of melanoma.

"We were shocked," Dr. Robert Kirsner, a UM Miller School of Medicine dermatology professor, told the Miami Herald. "Even in the Sunshine State, where we get plenty of exposure, the beds are proliferating."

Just like staying out in the sun too long without proper protection, tanning bed exposure is just as harmful to a person's skin. The researchers said their research, published in the journal JAMA Dermatology, and previous work shows a link between tanning beds and skin cancer. They will, however, need to do more before definitively saying the high number of tanning beds is related to the high rate of skin cancer.

The researchers counted 1,261 indoor tanning facilities in the state, compared to 868 McDonald's restaurants and 693 CVS pharmacies. There is one tanning facility for every 15,113 people and one ever 50 square miles.

"We found 100 facilities associated with college dormitories and residences," Kirsner said. "Many of the facilities are associated with wellness centers and health spas, when it's quite the opposite. They're a health detriment."

According to HealthDay News, only Bank of America ATMs had a larger presence than tanning salons, at 1,455. Dr. Joshua Zeichner, of the department of dermatology at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said tanning bed use needs to be reduced in order to lessen cases of skin cancer.

"Hindsight is 20/20, but what we need is foresight to stop indoor tanning and prevent the development of avoidable skin cancers," Zeichner told HealthDay. "Dermatologists, primary care doctors, pediatricians, and lawmakers must work together to enforce stricter regulations on tanning and educate the public on the risk you put yourself at even after one tanning salon session."

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit