Restrictions on Tanning Beds Could Lower Use Among Teen Girls

Despite numerous studies that indicate how unhealthy excessive indoor tanning can be for you even with the appearance of that healthy (ahem...misleading) tan glow, many young teenage girls are flocking to tanning beds around the country. Fortunately, health officials said they believe they may have stumbled across a way to lower the amount of tanning used by young women. By showing age limitations and warning signs, researchers believe that this could be an effective way to reduce the number of teenagers who use tanning booths in the country.

According to Dr. Gery Guy of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he examined surveys that were conducted in 2009 and 2011, with information from approximately 26,000 students. Researchers found that close to 23 percent of teenage high school girls reported using indoor tanning booths.

As the researchers examined state laws, they found that when tanning salons enforced any kinds of laws, teenage girls were up to 30 percent less likely to tan indoors. Researchers also found that tanning salons that required parental permission for teenagers showed up to a 42 percent reduction in the likelihood of tanning indoors for young women. However, researchers did not find any relation in the rates for boys.

However, the study authors note that age restrictions alone were not effective in reducing the number of teenagers who tanned indoors. For instance, the team reasoned that children who used indoor tanning booths were more likely to have at least one parent using them as well.

"State indoor tanning laws, especially age restrictions, may be effective in reducing indoor tanning among our nation's youth," said Guy, PhD, via the Sacramento Bee. "We need to address the harms of indoor tanning, especially among children. Indoor tanning laws can be part of a comprehensive effort to prevent skin cancers and change social norms around tanned skin."

Statistics show that within the United States, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. Yet there are close to 3.5 million cases of non-melanoma types per year and over 60,000 melanomas diagnosed a year, as well.

As California was the first state to ban children under 18-years-old from tanning salons, six others are now enforcing a ban while 12 others have also set age limits for children 17 years and younger.

More information regarding the story can be found via the American Journal of Public Health.