02.09.12
State Senator Jamie Raskin, Delegate Kirill Reznik and Delegate Mary Ann Love joined 11 additional legislators in the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates in co-sponsoring Senate Bill 213 and House Bill 207 to prohibit use of tanning devices by minors under the age of 18.
Under current Maryland law enacted in 2008, minors are permitted to use a tanning device at a tanning facility if a minor's parent or legal guardian signs a consent form.
The state of California and Howard County, Maryland, are the only jurisdictions in the nation to currently prohibit access to tanning facilities by minors under 18.
The US lags behind other countries, including France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and others, in prohibiting the use of tanning devices by minors.Under current Maryland law enacted in 2008, minors are permitted to use a tanning device at a tanning facility if a minor's parent or legal guardian signs a consent form.
The Maryland legislation was introduced one week after the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee's investigation of indoor tanning salons, which documented the false health claims and misleading information being provided to customers, especially minors, according to a statement released by American Academy of Dermatology. The investigation found that nearly all indoor tanning salons contacted denied the known risks of indoor tanning, and four out of five salons falsely claimed that indoor tanning is beneficial to a young person's health.
"These blatantly false statements disregard the scientific evidence that demonstrates a 75% increase in the risk of melanoma in those who have been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning," said Suzanne M. Connolly, M.D., FAAD, vice president of the American Academy of Dermatology Association. "The AADA applauds the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates for introducing this legislation to protect its young people from the health risks associated with indoor tanning and, if signed into law, to potentially save lives."
According to Sen. Raskin, originating sponsor of Senate Bill 213, "We ban smoking and drinking alcohol for young people under 18 in Maryland because these activities are inherently dangerous for them and we should ban indoor tanning for young people under 18 for the same reason. Research confirms that tanning indoors increases your risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.I'm proud to be standing with the doctors, dermatologists and American Cancer Society to say that this is a form of childhood recreation we can do without in Maryland."
Delegate Reznik, the House sponsor of House Bill 207, stated, "This is common sense legislation that protects our state's youth from cancer and other harmful diseases, by following the advice of numerous health organizations, both in the U.S. and abroad, such as the World Health Organization, who support preventing teens' exposure to the harmful UV rays of tanning beds."