The golden state of California might not be as golden as the new year approaches. Jan. 1, 2012 will mark the first day of the ban against minors using indoor tanning beds if Governor Jerry Brown approves Senate Bill 746.
As the number of young women with skin cancer and other life threatening skin diseases advances, so will the restriction on enablers such as indoor tanning.
This year, more than two million new cases of skin cancer were diagnosed in the United States. Melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, is now the second most common cancer in women according to National Cancer Institute. The exposures to the damaging UV rays are already high here in California, however so is the desire to be a bronzed beauty.
Tanning salons are a dime a dozen and can be found in nearly every shopping center in any given city. As local Bay Area tanning salon owner Tara Gilad explained, “High school students are my main clientele. Between proms and first dates there is an occasion nearly every week for a young girl to want to look her best.”
The current law states that anyone under the tender age of 14 is forbidden to use the indoor tanning devices and those who fall into the 14 to 17 age gap must obtain parent permission to use the beds.  The reason for such strict and necessary restrictions is for good reasons.
“Last year, California reported approximately 8,030 new cases of melanoma and an estimated 800 people in California will die from this disease this year. In fact, California has the highest number of new melanoma cases in the country,” said International Agency for Research on Cancer. Skin cancer, skin damage and eye injury are all common health problems stemming from the careless use of tanning beds.
Many tanning salon employees are not trained properly to explain the use of the beds and ensure the proper protection one needs when entering the device. Tanning goggles, lotion and the correct exposure time are all up to the client. Expecting a young girl, 18 or younger, to take responsibility to purchase and prepare correctly for this damaging exposure is careless on our part.
The World Health Organization has announced “indoor tanning devices to be cancer-causing agents that are in the same category as tobacco. Studies have found a 75 percent increase in the risk of melanoma in those who have been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning.”
For those who are in dire need for a golden tan there are other options. With Senate Bill 746 in effect, the reality of being tan is still obtainable for young women.
Abundant lotions are readily available at the supermarket, mall and drug stores that provide an even and glowing tan. Not only are there in-home fixes, one can still visit their local tanning salon to fulfill their tanning needs. Spray tans are now offered, a chemical free solution that provides a “just back from a vacation” tan within a few short minutes.