We’ve previously blogged about the dangers of tanning beds to teenagers.
The good news is that Governor Brown of California has just signed a bill raising the minimum age for using tanning beds in the state from 14 to 18. The law goes into effect January 1, 2012.
According to legislators, the law was driven by studies showing that the intense ultraviolet radiation emitted from tanning beds is lethally dangerous, and contributing to a rising epidemic of skin cancer for young women. Most seriously, the skin damage from tanning beds is cumulative, so the more exposure one gets younger in life, the worse the harmful effects will be.
The new law was applauded by the California Society of Dermatology & Dermatological Surgery.