Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- A state lawmaker hopes to make Utah the second state in the country to make it illegal for teens to use tanning salons.
Senator Pat Jones plans to introduce a bill outlawing tanning bed use for teenagers under the age of 18 when the 2012 legislative session begins on Jan. 23.
"The risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent if a person begins using tanning beds before age 30," Jones said on Utah's Morning News on KSL Newsradio. She added, Utah has the country's highest melanoma rate.
Medical professional have not ruled out Utah's elevation as an added contributor to the state's melanoma risk, but Jones points out, the World Health Organization declared tanning beds a known carcinogen in 2009.
The risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent if a person begins using tanning beds before age 30.
–Pat Jones
Current Utah law allows teens under 18 to go to the tanning salon with a parent's permission, which must be renewed annually. She worries about enforcement, as the health department is responsible for making sure salons are keeping up with the paperwork. If there's a ban, she says, that isn't a problem.
"It's good for our kids, it helps prevent cancer, and it makes it so it's easier to administer and to enforce," Jones said.
Email: bbruce@ksl.com
