Before the Joint Committee on Public Health
The Massachusetts Medical Society is in support Senate Bill 1105, legislation that would bar persons under the age of 18 years from using tanning devices. At present, only parental consent is required for children under the age of 14 years.
Although most Americans understand that getting a tan from the sun is dangerous, tanning is still popular for cosmetic reasons. As a result, indoor tanning has grown as an alternative to exposure to the sun. As documented in numerous studies, there are immediate risks of sunburns, infections and eye damage during indoor tanning, as well an elevated risk of skin cancer, a disease that kills over 10,000 Americans each year. The World Health Organization recommends banning tanning beds for anyone under the age of 18 years; the American Academy of Dermatology and the Massachusetts Melanoma Foundation have supported that position.
This legislation would be a major step in the right direction. Not only would it protect minors from injuries and significant cancer risks by limiting their access to tanning facilities, it would also raise the standards for licensure of those facilities and require the registration of tanning operators to assure the safety of those choosing to use indoor tanning facilities.
The Medical Society urges the Committee to report out Senate Bill 1105 favorably.
