Tanning beds may become off limits to teenagers

Tanning Beds Not For Teens

Tanning beds will be illegal for use by teenagers in California if a proposed measure is passed by lawmakers. "The Golden State" is just one of 21 states which are currently contemplating about prohibiting the use of said devices which some studies show could cause cancer.

California already has a ban in place against teens younger than 14 in using tanning beds and older teens need parental consent to use the devices. Now, legislators want to expand the restrictions even further by placing a total ban on those 17 years old and younger.

Lawmakers have noticed that teens often submit forged signatures of their parents or guardians in order to be allowed to use tanning beds. The measure that puts in new restrictions has been approved by the Senate.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has urged the 2.3 million American teens who use the tanning beds annually to stop using the devices because teens will be prone to developing eye damage, burns and skin cancer. "There is no such thing as a safe tan," the FDA said in an advisory. "The increase in skin pigment, called melanin, which causes the tan color change in your skin is a sign of damage."

Two years ago the World Health Organization described tanning beds as carcinogenic or cancer-causing. U.S. health organizations such as the American Medical Association have also lobbied for stricter laws that prohibit teens from using tanning beds.

Bills in Maryland, Illinois, New Mexico and Minnesota have failed to get approval. But legislators in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts are still actively pursuing the ban of teenagers' use of tanning beds.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday June 29 2011, 10:22 AM EST. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0