Posted on 03/17/2009 10:07:48 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Texans under 18 would not be allowed to use tanning beds unless they have a doctor's note and a parent present under a bill a House panel considered Tuesday.
Lawmakers heard from doctors who said the bill is a good idea because of the dangers of ultraviolet light. They also heard from an owner of a tanning salon company who said the proposal would hurt business.
The panel ultimately postponed voting on House Bill 1310, which the bill's author, state Rep. Burt Solomons, said would enact the strictest tanning regulations for teens in the nation.
"This is like big tobacco," Solomons, a Carrollton Republican, told members of the House Committee on Public Health. "These guys are basically luring teens in."
Texas already requires parental permission for people younger than 18 to use tanning beds. Those under 16 have to have a parent at the salon while they are tanning, and anyone younger than 13 needs a doctor's note.
Solomons said he wants to expand those restrictions to everyone under 18 so that teens talk to their doctor about the risks of tanning.
"This is not about banning tanning salons for teens," he said.
Dr. Sharon Raimer, president of the Texas Dermatological Society, said that even one exposure to tanning beds before age 35 can increase the risk of melanoma. That cancer is curable if caught early, but it spreads easily and does not respond well to treatment after spreading, she said.
"There's no good medical reason for getting in a tanning bed," Raimer said. "If people want to go get ready for prom, they can go get sprayed with self-tanning agents — those are totally safe."
Diane Lucas, president of Palm Beach Tan, a national company based in Farmers Branch that has 75 locations in Texas, said tanning salons already have plenty of oversight. She said that the average age of her customers is 32 and that people under 18 represent about 5 percent of her business.
"In this difficult economy, taking away this piece of the business would be extremely detrimental," said Lucas, who said there are about 1,300 indoor tanning facilities in Texas.
Lucas said she allowed her 18-year-old daughter to start tanning at 15.
"I have a right to decide what is right and wrong for my daughter," said Lucas, a board member of the Indoor Tanning Association. "I'd rather have her tan in a salon that is controlled than being out in the sun and being overexposed."
Solomons also has an 18-year-old daughter, Haley.
"My daughter went to a tanning salon three times before I found out," Solomons said. Teens are "doing this, but they're not assessing the risk."
The panel's chairwoman, Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, stopped short of endorsing the bill, but she did say, "Sometimes I have a hard time telling businesses what they can and can't do, but this is a public health issue."
But the good news is that teen females can get abortions at any age without parental approval.
I never understood why the school nurse or a doctor couldn’t put a bandage on me without notifying my parents yet a girl can have a surgical procedure if she is 13 and need anyone’s permission
hey the ID to vote bill passed the Texas Senate and is in the Texas House.
Hmm...interesting proposal.
A doctor’s note is a bit much, but I would think it prudent to require parental permission for teens below a certain age.
Of course, the kids could get their tan the way I did at their age - spending the better part of the summer picking corn for local farmers. I had the best “Hank Hill” suntan imaginable. :-)
In the old days I went to a dermatologist once because I had one pimple and was freaking out. He put me under a sun lamp. I loved it.
Being pigmentally challenged my entire life (I turn greenish instead of bronxed), what exactly is the downside to tanning lotions or tanning sprays? Why would someone seek out a tanning bed instead? Is it cost? Is it convenience? Do the beds do a better job?
Normally, I would be laisse-fare about this but if there’s no reason why teens can’t get sprayed instead, it seems smart to do this. A doctor’s note seems a bit extreme though.
The 'RATS came within a couple of seats of taking over the Texas House in the November 2008 elections.
Bandage companies don't contribute big dollars to Democrat politicians.
Guess who does?
I thought Texas was a conservative state? Guess the nanny state is non partisan.
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Texas has been a nanny state for some time. Remember, this is the state that was ridiculed around the world a few years ago when they decided to begin arresting people for drinking in bars.
“A doctor’s note is a bit much, but I would think it prudent to require parental permission for teens below a certain age.”
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This is a slippery slope, my friend. Parents should be in charge of what their kids do, not the damn government.
Next, teenagers will not be allowed to eat at Burger King without parental consent for fear of increased obesity in children. Yes, this is an overreach in comparison, but the point remains that government should not have a say in what is or is not allowed within a family.
I guess my concern is not so much health-related (though that’s surely the focus of the bill) as it is protecting kids from unscrupulous businesses and helping to keep parents “in the loop” when their kids try to do something they may not approve of. I can remember when I wanted to take martial arts lessons when I was a young teen. My parents’ permission was required, and it was a good thing. They helped steer me clear of some shady operations and found a reputable club for me to join.
But that’s just all IMHO. I do see your point here, as well. There’s certainly the potential for abuse whenever government enacts any regulation.
"This is like big tobacco," Solomons, a Carrollton Republican, told members of the House Committee on Public Health. "These guys are basically luring teens in."
Too bad this Nanny Stater was not a Democrat. If he were this thread would have hundreds of posts.
This is very good. The known dangers of tanning beds are ignored by everybody until its too late and their skin looks like leather chaps and is mottled with pre-cancerous lesions...
But if Planned Parenthood installed tanning beds, it would be OK, right?
‘But the good news is that teen females can get abortions at any age without parental approval.’
Indeed. Its much more difficult and requires significant parental involvement to dispense an aspirin to a female student than to procure an abortion. Apparently the only two things required to procure an abortion are $$ and transportation to and from the little outpost of Hell.
Makes me physically ill to think about it.
Folks,
Aren’t you missing the point that kids can simply go out into their backyard and tan ?
Should a note from your doctor be required before tanning in your backyard, or at the beach ?
This is a ludicrous nanny state STUPID move.
Ah, my bad. I missed that part last night.
Thanks for the clarification.
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