Posted on 05/20/2004 9:44:27 PM PDT by tbird5
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A state famous for tanned bodies and year-round sunshine would be the nation's first to ban teenagers from artificial tanning booths if a bill passed Thursday by the state Assembly becomes law.
Lawmakers, citing a rise in skin cancer cases in California and across the nation, voted 42-26 to add artificial tanning to teenage no no's that already include smoking, drinking and buying lottery tickets.
Teens often visit tanning salons before proms, vacations and weddings, say owners of an industry that claims 160,000 employees nationally and $5 billion in annual revenue. California is estimated to have 1,500 tanning salons.
Backers of the bill, including the California Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, blame tanning salons for part of 1 million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed every year in the United States. The group cited 7,400 deaths annually from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
"There is a big difference between going to the beach and a tanning salon," said the bill's author, Assemblyman Joe Nation, a Democrat. "When kids go to the beach they put on sun screen."
The bill passed despite opposition from tanning salons and Republican lawmakers opposed to "meddling" in personal choices.
"If this bill passes it proves there's no part of somebody's life this Legislature won't stick its nose into," said GOP Assemblyman Ray Haynes.
Heidi Blank, manager of San Diego's Hollywood Tans, said she thought the bill could "hurt my business somewhat. But what are you going to do? There's people bigger than me making those decisions."
She said teenagers account for about 5 percent of her store's clients.
The bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration, requires teenagers to have a doctor or surgeon's prescription before being allowed to tan indoors.
Along with 26 other states, California already requires permission from parents or a legal guardian for teens 15-18 to use artificial tanning salons. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1139527/posts
already posted
Glad to see they are now admitting that it is tanning booths!!
Good. Tanning wrinkles the skin. It leads to premature aging.
I definitely prefer an untanned woman over a tanned woman.
From the tanning booth to the voting booth. The Gov is right about not needing a full time legislature.
Another example of nattering nannyism. The parents *already* have to give their permission. What's next, the state seizing custody of kids whose parents take them to the beach and don't use a high enough SPF? If your teen has a tan, someone can call the child abuse hotline?
Great points. Will kids now rat out other kids if they are tan? And most kids, like mine, have to have permission.
Seems to me that the west coast of California is all beach. Wonder if any of these banned teens will just go there instead. Maybe they'll also ban teens from driving - lots of them get killed every year.
Yes, God forbid they should get a sunburn. Then the parents will *really* be in trouble.
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