A tanning bed in use; feel free to imagine the smell of cooking bacon.

California is a state that loves the sun.  After all, it’s surfing, beaches, bikinis, and frolicking in the bright, sunny warmth all the time there, or so pop culture would have us believe.  However, when it comes to tanning, a new state law is going to make it harder for teenagers to get their bronze on.  California is banning the tanning bed for people under 18 in an effort to curb skin cancer.  It’s one of a slate of new laws being signed by California governor Jerry Brown, aimed at improving the health of Californians.

“If everyone knew the true dangers of tanning beds, they’d be shocked,” said California state senator Ted Lieu, who proposed the ban. “Skin cancer is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of cancer death for women between 25 and 29.”

While tanning beds have some health benefits, they’re also just asking for cancer.  For people under 30 who use tanning beds regularly, research has shown a 75 percent increase in their likelihood to get melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.  The US Indoor Tanning Association says that 5-10 percent of tanning bed users are under 18, and say that the new ban in California will be harmful to their industry.

California is the first US state to completely ban tanning bed use for people under 18; England, Scotland, and Wales also ban the beds for the under-age, and Brazil has banned tanning beds completely.

Tags: tanning beds, tanning, health, unusual health news, medical news, unusual laws, tanning beds banned for people under 18, teenage tanning bed ban, Jerry Brown, California bans tanning beds for teenagers, under-18 tanning bed ban, skin cancer, cancer, skin cancer, tanning bed ban, no tanning beds for California teens, Ted Lieu, US Indoor Tanning Association, melanoma

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