Praise California's Ban on Tanning Beds for Minors
Teens under the age of 18 will no longer be able to go to a tanning salon in California, thanks to a new bill signed by Governor Jerry Brown yesterday. The bill was part of a cluster of legislation signed on Sunday designed to "improve the health and well-being of Calfornians," according to a statement from the Governor's office.
Research from the University of Minnesota found that the use of tanning beds will triple the risk of melanoma. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Although it only makes up about five percent of skin cancer cases, it is the cause for over 75 percent skin cancer deaths. It's also the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 25 to 29.
If any minors really want a tan, then GO OUTSIDE! You live in California, where there's great weather! You can get a tan for free instead of paying money for it! You can also do a lot more to protect yourself from overexposure, like use sunscreen, or reduce the amount of time you spend in the sun. Since tanning salons often offer package deals, where the customer can tan a lot in a short amount of time, the customer will then do it to get his or her money's worth. However, since you don't have to pay any money for sunshine, you don't feel a need to be in the sun for five days in a row.
There are also better tanning alternatives for those cloudy days, such as spray tans and tanning lotions. What makes the tanning beds so dangerous is the intense exposure, and the tendency for folks to utilize tanning beds often. There's plenty of evidence that shows a link between skin cancer and tanning. Just like how we ban teenagers from smoking because of the cancer risks, it's a great move to ban teens from tanning because of the cancer risks.
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