A burning issue: indoor Tanning debate heats up

Author: Current Events

Hanna Forest, a 16-year-old high school cheerleader from Illinois, loves catching rays, but not from the sun. She gets her glow from a lighted glass bed at the Coral Reef tanning salon in a local strip mall.

"It takes too long to lie out [in the sun]" she told Newsweek. "I don't want to be pale. This makes me feel like I look healthy."

But if an Illinois lawmaker gets his way, Hanna's glow may soon disappear. Rep. Kevin Joyce wants the state legislature to pass a law banning anyone under 18 from using tanning facilities, even with a parent's permission, as currently required by state law.

If passed, the ban would be the toughest teen tanning law in the United States. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), 22 states restrict teen tanning by requiring parental consent or by banning kids under 14 from using indoor tanning salons.

Those restrictions have sparked a hotbed of controversy between tanning fans and foes.

There's nothing healthy about a tan, say most dermatologists. "While many health issues are complex and involve multiple factors, we know that ultraviolet light is the primary cause of skin cancer, and avoiding excessive exposure is the solution"

Dr. Clay J. Cockerell, president of the AAD, said in a statement issued in March. "Indoor tanning is particularly troubling because it's so unnecessary, it is not associated with playing sports or other outdoor activities but is practiced solely for cosmetic reasons. Individuals who [use] tanning beds are intentionally putting their health at risk."

Melanoma Rates Increasing Due to Tanning Bed Use - Brief Article