A bill that would let only people 18 years or older use tanning beds received approval from the Senate today.
The idea, which the Assembly still needs to consider, has sparked strong opposition from indoor tanning salons that would lose its teenage customer base. Medical experts contend keeping children away from ultraviolet radiation is a necessary step to prevent them from getting skin cancer.
"The younger kids are when they start using these tanning beds, the greater the damage to their skin, and the more likely they are to die of skin cancer," Sen. Ted Lieu said in a statement. The Torrance Democrat is behind the measure, Senate Bill 746.
Some studies have found that the severity of exposure is more crucial than the age of radiation exposure. Lieu said bill backers, including the California Society of Dermatology & Dermatological Surgery and the Aim at Melanoma Foundation, agree that tanning bed use by people younger than 35 boosts lifetime risk of melanoma by 75 percent.
Current law requires 14-to-17-year-olds to get parent or guardian permission before using tanning salon services. The Indoor Tanning Association says this group represents nearly one in 10 customers.
If the measure were to become law, it would become the strictest tanning ban in the nation, surpassing Texas' age requirement of 16-and-half years old. Nearly a dozen other states are considering similar use restrictions this year.
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