Teen Tanning On The Table in Other States

Senate Bill 23, the bill that would have restricted teen tanning, may have lost on the House floor Monday, but the issue is still hot in some other states, according to an article from Stateline.org:

No smoking. No drinking. No talking on cell phones while driving. Now, the latest no-no in state laws aimed at underage teens is indoor tanning.

Spurred by worries about skin cancer, Utah last month became the 29th state to place limits on teens seeking a bronze glow from the ultraviolet lights of a tanning bed. North Dakota and Virginia are a governor’s signature away from also clamping restrictions on tanning salon patrons under age 18.

Most of the laws require underage teens to get mom’s or dad’s permission to lie under the tanning-bed heat lamps that emit intense UV light. Some states completely ban access to artificial UV light in salons for those younger than 13, 14, 15, or 16. Others require teens to bring along a parent or a doctor’s prescription.

Critics say the tan bans are an example of government overreaching, while advocates compare the use of tanning beds to cigarette smoking and the drinking of alcohol