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FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) -- The Davis County Health Board has rejected a ban on teenagers using commercial tanning beds, but those 17 and under will have to take a parent with them to the tanning salon.
The decision Tuesday came after debate over such issues as parental and personal right and the danger of exposure to ultraviolet light.
In the end, seven of the nine board members voted to adopt the parental permission rule rather than banning teen tanning at salons.
One of the dissenters, Charles Harpe, an internal medicine specialist, argued it was the board's duty to protect children.
"This is a known carcinogen and it's being administered in doses to our children," he said. "If we can prevent one or two deaths ... we've done our duty."
Joseph Mott agreed. "My bias is to create less government intrusion," he said, "but, in some cases, it's warranted."
County Commissioner Dannie McConkie, who sits on the board, questioned whether the incidence of skin cancer would be reduced enough to justify "micromanaging health."
He said, "People have to take ownership for their own well-being."
Davis County has 30 tanning salons, and several operators at a January hearing against a ban but favored requiring parental permission.
The board did signal that it might support a full ban on teen salon tanning in the future if other health departments move in that direction.
If Davis County approved a prohibition, teens still could drive to salons outside the county. Salt Lake and Utah counties require parental permission for those 17 and under to tan in salons, but Davis County's new rule also requires parents to stay during the tanning session.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
