An article in a Delaware newspaper provides one of the better attempts at balanced reporting than tanning salon owners have seen in years. The article quotes Wilmington, Del.-based Body Images Tanning owner Eileen Morris, as well as one of her 17-year old customers (and the young woman’s mother).
New legislation in Delaware requires parental consent for tanners ages 14 to 17, and prohibits those under 14 from tanning without a doctor’s prescription. The article mentions that salon owners are not generally opposed to parental consent for minors; however, they are concerned about anti-tanning messaging from beyond the community – including some politicians, physicians and support groups. Many of these individuals cite claims against the industry, yet lack the scientific data to affirm their position. This challenge is difficult enough on the local and state levels, but all the more daunting when national lawmakers get involved. Recent examples include the 10 percent tanning tax being worked into health care reform, as well as U.S. Sen. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.’s efforts to regulate tanning at the national level.
The article questions a commonly cited anti-tanning statistic from the World Health Organization. In fact, representatives from the Delaware chapter of the American Cancer Society and the senator who sponsored Delaware’s parental consent bill both declined to comment when asked about the research’s validity. One clinician cited anecdotal evidence when he was asked to comment.
Besides noting there is no proven link between tanning bed use and melanoma, the article also examines melanoma statistics. These indicate that the disease has existed at a relatively minor, unchanging rate for more than 30 years.
Comparisons are also drawn – and disputed – between tanning and smoking. To read the full article, click the source link.
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Source:
delaware online: Law curbs teen tanning: Salons dispute any link to melanoma
