California Decides that Minors and Tanning Don’t Mix

It’s old news that the glow that comes from hours in a sunbed can lead to skin cancer, but a new development in the tanning world has recently come to light. The state of California has issued a ban on the use of tanning beds by minors.
 
The bill was brought up by Congressman Ted Lieu and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. Today teens between the age of 14 and 18 can use tanning beds with their parent’s permission while children under 14 are prohibited. The new law will bar anyone under 18 from using the beds. The bill was prompted by the rising rates of skin cancer among young women.
 
In the US skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. The form of ultraviolet emitting radiation that tanning beds give out has a cumulative effect. The longer a person is exposed to them the higher their risk for getting cancer, so starting out young makes the risks higher. The World Health Organization found that the beds a "carcinogenic to humans" and in 2009 placed them in the highest category for cancer risk.
 
Congressman Lieu echoed this concern in a statement, pointing out that "skin cancer is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of cancer death for women between 25 and 29." Efforts are being made in other states to pass laws similar to California’s, where the ban will go into effect on January 1st, 2012.