What's on the Horizon in Tanning Bed Legislation? It Depends on You!
UV radiation–based indoor tanning (uvIT) remains popular among teenaged females despite growing evidence associating indoor tanning beds with an increased incidence of melanoma at more advanced stages. To curb this disturbing trend, 26 states already have enacted various forms of legislation to educate families on the dangers of indoor tanning and dissuade teenagers from utilizing uvIT. Only complete bans on uvIT are effective in changing a teenager’s behavior; therefore, current legislative efforts are aimed at better educating adolescents and their families on the dangers of uvIT as well as enacting complete bans on uvIT for individuals younger than 18 years. Achieving these goals largely depends on physicians acting as leaders and advocates for patient safety as well as on the medical and public health communities across all states.