“Most of our tanners are under the age of 18,” said tanning consultant Ashley Avery.
The company has long required parents to be present for tanning sessions, but now requires a signed consent form along with the parent’s driver’s license and contact information.
“We’ve never had someone not sign it,” Avery said.
The new restrictions, which were passed by the Ohio House on Wednesday and await Gov. John Kasich’s signature, mandate that parents be present for the tanning sessions of children younger than 16. For minors between the ages of 16 and 18, parents must give signed consent that lasts for 90 days.
“Minors are at increased risk of skin cancer because their skin cells divide at a much more rapid pace than those of adults,” said Rep. Steven Alexander, who sponsored the bill with support from the Ohio Dermatological Association. “House Bill 131 is good public policy that will reduce tanning bed use by minors while still preserving a parent’s right to raise their child how they see fit.”
But some salons believe it will hurt their business.
“Every little bit of business that I lose right now affects me greatly,” said Rhonda Bolinger, who operates Special Touch Tanning in Kettering. “I’ve lost a lot of business already with the economy. If I lose five to 10 tanners, that really has an impact.”
Bolinger said that it will only make it more difficult for parents and minors.
“Nowadays, parents are working and they don’t have the time to pick up their child and go to the tanning salon,” she said. “If I had a child and she wanted to tan, I could fill out the form and it would be no problem. But what parent has time to take off work and come with their child every time they tan?”
The state already requires tanning booth operators to be certified by the state, and Special Touch Tanning requires parents to sign consent forms before it will allow minors to tan there, Bolinger said.
“Tanning is supposed to be done in moderation. We have everyone fill out a skin type analysis and start out slowly,” she said. “I’m certified by the state, and it’s my job to control the amount of time they should be in there, and I take it seriously.”
Mindy Smith, a registered nurse who operates Sun-Deck Tanning Salon on Patterson Boulevard, said she already requires that parents be present with children under 16. But she noted that the state doesn’t regulate outdoor tanning.
“Outdoor sunlight tanning is just as much a concern, if not more of one, because it’s not monitored,” she said. “As long as you are monitoring it appropriately, it’s not something to worry about.”
The American Cancer Society supported the original version of the bill, which would have banned tanning for everyone under the age of 18. But the bill passed by the House does not go far enough to protect children, according to Jeff Stephens, the director of government relations for the society.
“Science is becoming more and more clear that there is a link between exposure in tanning booths and skin cancer, specifically melanoma,” Stephens said. “The bill was compromised through the legislative process so that there are varying degrees of parental permission. We still believe that some parents may not fully understand the risk associated with these tanning beds, and that’s why we supported the total ban.”
Nine states have banned tanning for minors.
Staff Writer Katie Wedell contributed to this report.
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