Corbett To Sign Bill Prohibiting Anyone Under Age 17 From Using Tanning Beds
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - A spokesman for Governor Corbett says he will sign a bill on the way to his desk that will prohibit youngsters under age 17 from using tanning salons in Pennsylvania.
Not only will indoor tanning salons be off limits to those 16 and younger, but 17 year-olds will need parental permission to use them. Scott Chadwick is the legislative counsel for the Pennsylvania Medical Society, which supports the measure.
"A study published in the International Journal of Cancer in May 2011 determined that for young people diagnosed with melanoma, between the ages of 18 and 29, 76-percent were attributable to indoor tanning bed use. That's pretty powerful."
The bill, given final legislative approval in the House this week, also imposes other requirements on tanning salons. Among those, Chadwick believes most important is health warning signs and statements for customers to dispel the notion many people still have that indoor tanning is the safe way to tan.
