California Bans Tanning Beds for Teens Under 18

Images: Giedre Dukauskaite | Alexandre Weinberger | L’Express Style

Suntanning Triggers Brain's Reward Region, Linked to Addictions AOC Health & Happiness

California has banned tanning beds for teens under 18 in a new law that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2012. Teens under 18 comprise 5%-10% of tanning-bed users nationally, but probably more in Los Angeles County. The bill's author State Sen Ted Lieu told AP that tanning salons outnumber Starbucks or McDonald's n Los Angeles County.

An undercover 2009 study sponsored by NCI (National Cancer Institute) trained female college students to pose as fair-skinned, 15-year-old tanner newbies in phone consultations with 3,600 tanning salons in 50 states.

Fewer than 11% of tanning salons adhered to government recommendations on sun lamp exposure, which limits tanning to no more than three sessions in the first week. 71% of the salons contacted in the study promoted tanning every day for the first week and promoted 'unlimited tanning' discount price packages. Dermatologists are adamantly opposed to daily tanning on 'virgin' skin.

Based on new research and cancer statistics, coupled with psychological research on females and tanning in particular, other states including New York, Illinois, Rhode Island and Ohio are considering similar restrictions on younger teens using tanning beds.

Melanoma -- which kills one in eight victims -- is the second most common cancer in America for women aged 20 to 29.via TIME

We covered most of the psychological research -- including scans monitoring the 'addiction' center in the brain among a large percentage of female tanners  --  in this earlier article on AOC.

In a stunning piece of research around the 'wisdom' and judgment of young women tanning bed users: 

Having a history of melanoma and skin cancer did NOT reduce tanning but increased the likeliness to tan.

Of the students with a positive family history of skin cancer, 77 percent purposely tanned their skin outdoors and 45 percent used indoor tanning devices.