Governor Signs Bill Banning Indoor Tanning for Teens

West Hollywood teens will have to visit the beach or pay for a spray tan to get the look of sun-kissed skin now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill banning youths under age 18 from indoor tanning.

“I praise Gov. Brown for his courage in taking this much-needed step to protect some of California’s most vulnerable residents—our kids—from what the ‘House of Medicine’ has conclusively shown is lethally dangerous: Ultraviolet-emitting radiation from tanning beds,” said Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), the bill’s author. “If everyone knew the true dangers of tanning beds, they’d be shocked. Skin cancer is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of cancer death for women between 25 and 29."

A basic search on Weho Patch results in 10 indoor tanning businesses throughout the city, including on the Sunset Strip, on Fairfax Avenue, and on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The bill, SB 746, was signed Sunday by Brown and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2012. It was sponsored by the California Society of Dermatology & Dermatological Surgery and the Aim at Melanoma Foundation. It also was supported by the California Medical Association, Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Previously, California teens aged 14-17 could use tanning beds and booths with a parent’s permission.

Thirty states have some restrictions on teens and indoor tanning. Texas has an indoor tanning ban for anyone under 16 1/2 years old. New York, Illinois, Ohio and Rhode Island are considering bans similar to California’s. Several European countries, including England and France, have banned tanning beds and booths for anyone under 18. Brazil outlaws indoor tanning altogether. 

Supporters of the ban on indoor tanning for people under 18 cited statistics showing that those who use tanning beds and booths before age 38 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma by 75 percent.

Follow West Hollywood Patch on Twitter and Facebook for more updates, tips and news.