State bill aims to ban youth tanning

Legislation would bar anyone younger than 18 from tanning without a physician’s prescription.

Courtney Combs

Ferguson attempts suicide after being found guilty on all 32 counts
11/21/09
Neighbors still trying  to recover from fatal fire
11/20/09
Churches want end to ‘shooting and killing’
11/20/09
Gun turn-in will include some questions
11/20/09
State jobless rate jumps to 10.5 percent
11/20/09
> More headlines

Updated 1:52 AM Thursday, May 7, 2009

COLUMBUS — A local state lawmaker has again taken up the cause of keeping teens out of tanning beds.

State Reps. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, and Lorraine Fende, D-Willowick, introduced legislation Wednesday, May 6, to ban indoor tanning for anyone younger than 18.

The bill makes an exception of the minor has a physician’s prescription.

Current laws allow teens to tan with parental consent.

“Many have clamored that if we prohibit the use of tanning beds for minors we might as well ban poolside and beach tanning, but that argument is moot,” Combs said. “The amount of radiation produced during indoor tanning, in many cases, is stronger that the sun.

“There is direct evidence that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning damages the DNA in the skin cells,” he said. “Studies have shown that 80 percent of skin damage happens before the age of 18.”

The proposed ban is likely to face opposition from tanning parlor trade groups and those who feel the bill infringes on their rights as parents.

Anthony Moore, owner of Golden Clip Tanning Salon in Hamilton, said the bill would rob him of one-third of his business.

“We have a lot of girls who come in for proms and that sort of thing,” he said. “It should be up to the parents to decide whether they want their kids to tan or not.”

But Combs and Fende argue it’s a public health issue, with skin cancer on the rise.

“The numbers associated with skin cancer in the United States are staggering,” Fende said. “Our goal with this bill is to create precautionary measures to help ensure a healthy future for our young people today. The perceived cosmetic gains are not worth the irrevocable damage from the intense UV radiation.”

Combs said House Bill 173 is supported by various groups including the American Medical Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Ohio Dermatological Society, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Skin Cancer Foundation.

The bill is awaiting referral to a House committee for discussion.

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

well as i read all of the comments on here one stands out ALFRED'S comment let them all die great way to take care of your kids..MORRON..i look at it this way the kids in america today do what they want so if they want to tan let them but by charging double it would stop them cause the parent would be paying for the ones that don't have jobs.and the ones who have jobs wont want to spend that kinda cash
and slfred you are NOT always right

THE CHEF
1:13 PM, 5/8/2009

REPORT ABUSE

I am sure glad that everything is fixed in the State of Ohio. Now our politicians can get down to real issues like tanning. What are they thinking?

Tim
10:41 AM, 5/8/2009

REPORT ABUSE

The lawmakers spend too much time on things that really dont matter to most people. They need to get to work on fixing the real problems of our sorry state

n walker
8:44 AM, 5/8/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There is a law or school rule for practically every move teens make. How are they going to learn to make decisions for themselves? Depriving teens of the freedom and the responsibility to make everyday informed health choices for themselves should be considered a crime. Parental permission to use a tanning bed is enough. The government doesn't need to dictate anti-tanning laws that may drive another segment of struggling small businesses into bankruptcy.

Mary
1:39 AM, 5/8/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Is everybody else tired of our Goverment telling us how to parent? "Big Brother" does not nedd to be in on this.

Randy B
8:23 PM, 5/7/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There are 66 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.