“The science is clear – if you use indoor tanning beds, your risk of developing skin cancer significantly increases,” Dr. Elizabeth Kiracofe told lawmakers last week in testimony. “The incidence of malignant melanoma is especially increasing in young adult women, due to their exposure to hazardous ultraviolet tanning bed radiation.”
The legislation requires parents to sign a consent form in the presence of a salon operator or employee for a 16- or 17-year-old to tan. It’s valid for 90 days. Parents of children under age 16 must sign the form before each tanning session, and they must be present for the duration of the tanning sessions. The form describes the health risks of tanning.
Employees or facility operators could be fined and have their licenses revoked for violating the requirements.
The measure also would require the state Board of Cosmetology to regulate salons using tanning chemicals, such as spray-on tans.
She noted that 24 states and the District of Columbia ban minors from using indoor tanning beds.
The American Cancer Society did not support the bill because it does not go far enough, Lehner said.
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