It's not so bad. It's the people that are addicted to it that put themselves at risk. It doesn't take too long to get a tan, and it doesn't take too much to maintain one. The people who run into problems look like leather faced oompa loompas, and I don't doubt that at this level that there are serious risks.
I just tan in the backyard and do yard work. If my gym has a cheap tanning package I'll do that to get my dick and ass nice and evenly tanned, then maintain by just jogging in the sun or doing yard work without a shirt.