In Sacremento, California, Governor Jerry Brown made a law stating that anyone under the age of 18 cannot use a tanning bed. California will be the first state to make a law banning 18 year olds and under. The law will take effect on January 1, 2012. 30 other states have a law about tanning beds but none of them have been as high as 18. Tanning salons are expected to lose 5-10 percent of customers, who happen to be under 18.
Tanning is when you are being exposed to UV rays which are in the sun or tanning bed lights. Tanning causes the skin cells to become damaged and leads to skin cancer. Statistics show that 18% of women and 6% of men tan indoors. 1 in 5 Americans will develop a form of skin cancer in their body at a point in their lifetime. 90% of all skin cancer related diseases are from being exposed to UV rays. Many of these people didn't know that tanning could cause Skin Cancer or other dangers.
Before this law, anyone under the age of 14 could not use tanning beds, but 15-17 year olds could if their parents approved.
To me, I think it is a good idea that California made it a law. Tanning can cause Skin Cancer, Melanoma, and many more skin related defects. It can also lead to the person's skin ageing prematurely. What else I like about this law, is that it will be a model for other states. Maybe, Iowa can follow up on something like this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/09/california-bans-tanning-beds_n_1002589.html
http://www.skincancer.org/Tanning/?gclid=CPaf9vfk3KsCFU0EQAodmGxNTQ
Comments
Good choice of topic and well done!