A new bill, Senate Bill 209, in Indianapolis aims to make the use of tanning beds illegal for anyone under the age of 18. While the use of tanning beds is currently banned for teens under 16, it is legal for teens of 16-17, with the permission of their parents. The proposed bill would override this parental permission, in the hopes to stop the progression of Melanoma through from prolonged tanning exposure.
The bill also would also require for salons to require I.D verifications before providing tanning services to customers.
Not everyone is on board for the bill though; The American Suntanning Association is in opposition of this potential law. They have argued that the rise in cancer rates in Indiana is linked to unregulated tanning beds, not to tanning beds regulated by salons. The American Suntanning Association believes that by banning teens service from tanning salon beds, the number of “at-home” tanning solutions will increase, leading to even more cases of Melanoma.