Senate Committee Passes Bill Banning Tanning-Bed Use by Minors

A bill to prohibit minors from using tanning beds passed through theSenate Health Policy Committee on Tuesday with a 6-2 vote.

SB 572, sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel,D-Hollywood, would bar minors from using tanning beds at tanning salons. Sobel, whose husband is a dermatologist, pointed to the increased risk of skin cancer as the primary concern behind the legislation.

Research has increasingly supported that the use of tanning beds increases the risk for melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.SB 572 would place a prohibition on visits to tanning salons by minors, except if physicians prescribe the visits to treat certain medical conditions.

Under current law, minors 14 or older can visit tanning facilities with their parents consent, while children under 14 must be accompanied by their parents.