Tanning Beds
Times are getting tough for teenagers in Texas. Lawmakers are proposing a bill to make it harder for Texas teens to climb onto a tanning bed, and they're comparing it with legislation against the tobacco industry.
"In the United States and Texas, we don't allow our teens to purchase cigarettes until after they are 18 because it is a carcinogen," says Rep. Burt Solomons. "Yet we don't do that for tanning beds, which can expose teens to the same risk for cancer."
If the bill passes, it would require anyone under the age of 18 to get a doctor's note to use a tanning bed and to have a parent with them in the salon. This legislation would be the strictest of any state and put a definite crimp in teen tanning.
Current Texas law requires that children up to 18 have parental permission and that children under 16 are accompanied byadults. Children under 13 can tan if they get permission from a doctor.
In testimony to the board, a representative of the Indoor Tanning Association said that current controls are strong enough, and it's the parents who need to decide if their child can use a tanning bed. A Texas tanning salon chain that employs more than 500 Texans says that, although the average age of their clients is 32, restricting teen access would hurt small businesses in a tough economy.
Dermatologists and melanoma survivors argue that tanning beds are a real risk for skin cancers like melanoma, and that teens are at high risk for such damage. UV light treatments, which are similar to tanning beds, are used to treat some skin conditions, but those are better treated in a controlled, medical environment.
Both sides acknowledge that a doctor's note would be difficult to get if the bill passed.
The bill was left pending in the House Public Health Committee.
So ponder this, pardner: Temperatures in Texas can exceed 100 degrees F, and Texans enjoy an average of 37-48 minutes of sunshine out of every hour of daylight. C'mon, tanning beds for Texans? Just round 'em up and herd 'em out to play in the sunshine. And then get back to work on real healthcare issues.
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