Most states across the country (42) regulate the use of tanning facilities by children. Some states have taken the next step to prohibit tanning by minors under the age of 18 such as California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
In 2018, nine states have pending legislation to ban minors under 18 from tanning – Arizona, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee.
If your state doesn’t currently protect children under 18 from the harms of tanning, take time to build a relationship with your legislator and explain why this is an important issue to you. Here are some of the ASDSA key talking points you can use:
- Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, has been linked to indoor tanning
- Age restrictions on indoor tanning work
- Indoor tanning is ranked within the World Health Organization’s highest cancer-risk category
- Skin cancer treatment is a costly drain on the American economy.
- Indoor tanning is a threat to the health and safety of our youth with no signs of slowing down.
- The Federal Trade Commission has ruled against claiming health benefits for indoor tanning.
ASDSA is pleased to work with our partners to advocate on this issue, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Please contact us at advocacy@asds.net for more information.
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