The Massachusetts senate has passed a bill which prohibits individuals under 18 years old from using or operating an indoor tanning device. The democrat Sen. James Timilty has been working on the bill since 1994 in an attempt to protect young people, especially young women, from the dangers of skin cancer.
Similar bans are in place in New Hampshire, California, Nevada, Louisiana, and Texas due to the clinical evidence that damage from tanning beds stays with people, building over their lifetimes. Timilty pointed out that sun beds increase the risk of young people developing the most deadly form of skin cancer and that the tanning industry needs to stop the misinformation about alleged health benefits of tanning.
The bill also bans tanning salons from allowing minors to operate a tanning device. Concerns were raised that not allowing teens to operate tanning beds, would limit their job opportunities, especially at businesses where tanning beds are only one component, such as gyms. Attempts to strike that part of the bill was defeated.
Timilty said that allowing teens to operate a tanning establishment could result in them bringing their underage friends in to use the machines. He said the minors could still work in a gym with tanning machines, but may not operate them.
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