California: Tanning Beds Illegal for Teens

Teens should no longer be allowed to use ultraviolet tanning beds, the California Senate decided Wednesday, with a 24-9 vote.

If SB 746 is signed into law, the bill would replace the current law that allows 14 to 17-year olds to use tanning beds so long as the parent or guardian permits it.

It would also make California the first state that bans teens from using tanning beds.

Senator Ted Lieu of the 28th District (D-Torrance) released a statement on April 28th, The principle behind the bill is that the use of indoor tanning beds is risky and the results can be fatal, and so the choice to use them should be -in every sense of the term -an adult decision.

Regular use of tanning beds triples the risk of developing melanoma compared to people who never used one, according to a new research.

Doctor DeAnn Lazovich of the University of Minnesota says the study was designed to address the limitations of past research, which have allowed the tanning industry to continue to deny that tanning beds cause skin cancer.

Our data would suggest that there is no safe tanning device, Lazovich tells WebMD.

In a study by American Academy of Dermatology, 30 percent of 3,800 of women surveyed used tanning beds within the past year, and one in four use it regularly.

The women surveyed said they use tanning beds because they think it is safer than the sun, contrary to studies that reveal that tanning beds increase the risk of skin cancer by as much as 75 percent.

Due to increased use of tanning beds, teens are also at great risk of developing melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

The medical community has been pushing hard to pass SB 746, which would protect teens in the long run.

Some simple advice as summer rolls in:

-Limit the use of (or refrain altogether from) tanning beds!

-When out in the sun, use sunscreen. Remember that sunscreens don't work by reflecting the sun, but need to be absorbed first. Therefore, apply sunscreen BEFORE exposure to sun.

-Examine your own skin regularly, and see a doctor when you see any changes such as new spots or changes in an old spot.