Cancer-protection measure would ban teens under 18 from using UV-emitting tanning beds

World Health Organization classifies tanning beds as ‘level 1 carcinogen – the same as plutonium and cigarettes

A measure by Sen. Ted W. Lieu to ban youths under age 18 from using indoor tanning booths will receive its first policy test during a hearing Monday, May 2. 

“The ‘House of Medicine’ has already conclusively shown through multiple, peer-reviewed studies that the ultraviolet radiation from tanning beds cause skin cancer,” Lieu said. “If everyone knew the true dangers of tanning beds, they’d be shocked. Skin cancer is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of cancer death for women between 25 and 29.”

The review of Senate Bill 746 by the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee in Room 3191 in the state Capitol is expected to begin on adjournment of Monday’s Senate Floor session, scheduled to start at noon. 

If SB 746 is signed into law, the Golden State would be the first in the nation with such a ban. 

Sponsored by California Society of Dermatology & Dermatological Surgery and the Aim at Melanoma Foundation, SB 746 seeks to protect those most susceptible – youths – to the cancer-causing effects of tanning beds. The bill is supported by numerous groups, including the California Medical Association, Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Existing law prohibits persons under age 14 from using ultraviolet tanning devices but permits those between 14 and 18 with permission of their parent or legal guardian. Research, however, shows those who use tanning beds before age 35 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma by 75 

Senate Bill 746 -- Tanning Beds

This measure would prohibit the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under the age of 18 years.

Current California Law regarding Indoor Tanning Facilities prohibits minors under the age of 14 to use a tanning device. Minors aged 14 – 17, however, are permitted to use a tanning bed with parental consent.

The Facts:
• Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, accounting for nearly half of all cancers in the United States. More than 2 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in this country annually. 

• Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, accounted for 68,130 cases of all skin cancer in 2010. In California, there will be approximately 8,030 new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2011.

• Melanoma is one of the most common cancers diagnosed among young adults. It is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 25 – 30 and is second only to breast cancer women aged 30 -34. 

• Ultraviolet radiation exposure from the sun is a known cause of skin cancer, and exposure to UV radiation during childhood and adolescence increases the risk for a skin cancer diagnosis as an adult. Tanning lamps and booths are sources of UV radiation. 

• On an average day, more than one million Americans use tanning salons. Research shows that nearly 70 percent of indoor tanners are female, primarily 16 to 29 years old.

• Those who use tanning beds before age 35 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma by 75 percent.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human services and the World Health Organization have added UV radiation-emitting tanning devices (including tanning beds and lamps) to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing substances in humans.