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OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- A state law aimed at reducing teenagers' use of tanning booths isn't keeping many from heading to salons to look tan all year long.
Christy York, an employee at North Beach Tanning in Ogden, says the number of teens tanning has changed little since the law went into effect in May.
The law requires parents to sign a consent form once a year for minors to use tanning booths. The form lists the dangers of exposure to ultraviolet radiation and specifies the number of times a teen can tan per year.
Sun Palace owner Deb Sturdavant says she also has not seen a reduction in the number of teens coming to her Ogden salon. However, she says, parents appreciate the law.
"They feel more comfortable because they know the maximum that their child can tan," she said.
Health officials say they're primarily concerned about teens using tanning beds because they're worried they'll develop malignant melanoma, which is associated with exposure to radiation.
"Young people have an inherent sense of invulnerability and are not thinking long term," said Lewis Garrett, Davis County Health Department director. Teens are "concerned with the cosmetic effect."
Teens' more sensitive skin can be damaged now, but the effects won't be seen for years, making it hard to track whether the law is working, said Mary Hazard, assistant environmental health director with the Weber-Morgan Health Department.
Garrett said the health department does an annual inspection of tanning salons, and so far has not found any violations of the new law.
But Brian Moser, owner of Tanning Oasis in Layton and Roy, said there is a loophole that could let teens tan more than their parents might want.
Parents must say how many times a year their child can tan, but they don't have to specify a limit on how many times a week their child can tan.
Moser said business triples from February through May and drops off drastically during summer, so teens could be tanning every day as they try to build a tan for shorts season, but hardly tan at all during summer.
"I wouldn't feel good about my kids tanning every day," he said.
Tanning Oasis forms require parents to limit how many times per week their teens can tan, and Moser said the law should require a weekly limit.
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Information from: Standard-Examiner
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
