No more tanning beds for teens, says California
In the glitzy, image-driven microcosm of SoCal, tanning (indoor/outdoor) is a prevalent, if not daily ritual of resident's lives. On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law that prevents those under 18 years of age from using tanning beds.
California girls better start looking for alternative methods to attain "sun-kissed skin." At least those under-18, reports the Associated Press.
On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a law (effective Jan. 1) that prevents those under 18 years of age from using tanning beds. Texas also has a similar ban in effect for those under 16, but the latest law sets a higher limit for several reasons.
AP Images
First, California is a mecca for tanning salons, outnumbering Starbucks and McDonald's locations in Los Angeles County, says Senator Ted Lieu, who drafted the bill.
Second, early tanning can increase the risk of skin cancer later in life, says Lieu. Melanoma, can be fatal, and it does not take a world-class detective to see the correlation between ultraviolet radiation, carcinogens and potential death.
However, for some, leading a full, meaningful and satisfactory life falls short to being a bronzed beauty, temporarily.
In the glitzy, image-driven microcosm of SoCal, tanning is a prevalent, if not daily ritual of resident's lives. The media is partially to blame for this perception, along with the lifestyle. Think back to the days of The OC, and consider the perfectly-toasted skin of the show's "beautiful" cast members (note: Rachel Bilson, Adam Brody, Mischa Barton). Tans were as natural for the show's stars as were disastrous, drug-fueled trips to Tijuana.
These characters served not only as role models for America's youth, in behavior, but also in standards of beauty. I can say this because I lived through the OC/Laguna Beach phase in my high school days, and like many other girls, I wanted to be Marissa Cooper. Some of my close friends started tanning in high school. I started in college.
I tried justifying it by going once a week in the winter, to regain my glow, but had friends who hit the beds on a daily basis, mid-summer. Looking back, I think to myself- if only someone had shown us the leathery skin of women in their fifties who looked like they were in their seventies due to frequent bouts of tanning. Even with that, we may have been largely unaffected, considering our obsession with trends, what was in, what looked good, etc. Wrinkles, melanoma, death? None of those were "current." I am now in my twenties, and am very mindful of slathering on the SPF. It's part vanity, part fear.
Ultimately, Lieu makes a good point: The risk of skin cancer is high amongst 25-29 year olds. The rise of shows like the Hills, Real Housewives and Jersey Shore is not alleviating these numbers amongst teenagers. And perhaps it is up to adults, who grasp the potentially morbid consences of tanning, to make some positive, life-altering choices for those who do not.
Finally, for those who disagree with this bill, consider this statistic: Indoor UV tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors. (The Skin Cancer Foundation).