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FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) -- In the seven months since Davis County began requiring that parents accompany their children to salon tanning sessions, most of the complaints have come from the adults, salon owners contend.
"Probably the biggest thing we're experiencing is that parents are so ticked off," said Brian Moser, owner of Tanning Oasis in Layton.
Parents must sign a consent form and accompany children under 18 each time the child goes to a tanning salon under Davis County Board of Health Regulations that took effect in February.
"We totally agree on parent's signatures," said Cindi Treasure, owner of I Tan Too in Layton. But Treasure said parents are annoyed about having to stand by while their teens work on a tan.
That's not the case with Karen Chutka of Clearfield. She said she's happy to accompany her teenage daughters. She is able to watch over the girls and regulate how long and how often they tan.
"It does take time out of my day, but personally I'd rather control it," she said. Her girls, 15 and 17, only tan for special occasions, such as school dances, Chutka said.
Moser and Treasure both said their businesses have dropped off a bit since the regulation took effect.
How carefully the rule is being followed won't be clear until the busy winter season.
"A lot of the concern with minors using these facilities or owners allowing them is yet ahead of us," said Delane McGarvey, director of environmental health services for Davis County.
There are 200 tanning beds in the county.
A report to the health board last week indicates businesses seem to be responding satisfactorily to the tanning-bed regulations. Twenty-two tanning businesses in Davis County have obtained permits for operation since June, when permits were first required.
"We don't know of any establishment that isn't permitted," McGarvey said.
Inspectors will visit tanning facilities at least once a year to check for safety and sanitation and that consent forms are kept on file. Health concerns led to the move to require parental permission. However, some salon owners fear it may also be leading Davis County teens to Weber County for tans that don't require parental consent.
"That does seem to be a hole in our approach here," said Lewis Garrett, director of the Davis County Health Department. "Teens are able to go a few miles north and get to an unregulated area."
McGarvey would like to see Weber County adopt similar regulations.
The Weber-Morgan Health Department is currently focusing on issues such as teen pregnancy rather than keeping teens from tanning, director Gary House said.
"That doesn't mean that we might not address it in the future, but right now we have other things that are a more pressing concern for us," he said.
The Salt Lake Valley Health Department currently requires parental consent for underage tanning.
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Information from: Standard-Examiner, http://www.standard.net
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
