New York City tanning salons break under-18 law

[Editor-in-Chief]

City tanning salons break under-18 law

BY NICOLE CARTER and TRACY CONNOR
tconnor@nydailynews.com

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Sunday, December 9th 2007, 4:00 AM

Roberts for News
Tabitha O'Brien



Teenagers are being allowed to bake themselves in damaging tanning beds - more than a year after a law was passed to protect their tender skin, the Daily News has learned.

Even though it's illegal for salons to take customers under age 18 without their parents' permission, many of the city's ultraviolet meccas are ignoring the rules.

A 15-year-old volunteer who went in search of a winter tan discovered that getting one would be easier than finding a spot on the sand at Coney Island in July.

None of the six city salons visited raised objections about high school student Tabitha O'Brien's age, even though she wrote her birth date on their applications.

When The News contacted the salons' owners, half said they didn't know about the law - enacted with fanfare last year - that bars anyone under age 14 and requires parental consent for those under 18.

"I'm absolutely not familiar with it," said Michael Nunz, owner of Urban Tanz on Roebling St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. "I bet if you asked 50 tanning salons, 48 of them wouldn't know there was an age limit."

At Beach Bum on W. 14th St. in Manhattan - where Tabitha checked a box on an application stating she was "under 18" - a manager who gave his name as Dante said no laws were broken.

"I think it's a state law that they're trying to pass," he said.

In fact, the law took effect 13 months ago, but because the state hasn't finalized regulations on tanning salons, no inspection process is in place.

"I'm extremely disappointed," said state Sen. Chuck Fuschillo (R-L.I.), who sponsored the law. "The bill was signed in August 2006 to take effect in November. Here we are over a year later."

The state Health Department has a downloadable consent form posted on its Web site, but Tabitha never saw one at a salon.

"Some folks are using our forms, [but] other folks haven't gotten the word," admitted Richard Svenson, director of the department's environmental-health protection division.

Dominick Caputo, owner of Blast Tanning in Williamsburg, said the law was news to him, but he claimed unaccompanied teens aren't allowed in his salon.

Still, he didn't dispute that Tabitha was welcomed by his staff, blaming a new employee.

"I fired her. She's gone already. She lasted two days," he said. "I really apologize for that."

Normally, he said, software he uses would have rejected Tabitha's paperwork because of her birth date. "But my computer is out," he said.

Solar Salon in Chelsea plans to revamp its software as a result of Tabitha's visit.

The salon said it requires parental permission for people under 18, but that isn't part of the high-tech computer check-in, which includes fingerprint screening.

"[We] will be implementing the online consent form in the near future, thanks to this wakeup call," said Lisa Mandelkorn.

Johnny Versace, owner of EZ Tanning on Fifth Ave. and 20th St. in Manhattan, insisted Tabitha would have been shown the door when her birth date was entered.

"The computer is hooked up to the tanning machine," he said. "If you're under 18, it won't start."

Ray-sing concern

The $5 billion tanning industry has come under fire from the medical establishment, which believes frequent exposure to ultraviolet rays from sun lamps cause skin cancer.

Dermatologists say the government should keep minors away from tanning beds, just like it bars them from smoking and drinking.

But tanning advocates dispute the link between UV radiation and cancer and tout the health benefits of light, including Vitamin D.

Source

Scandal of teen tanning

The Daily News asked 15-year-old Tabitha O'Brien to visit six tanning salons across the city to see if they would enforce a new state law barring anyone under 18 from getting an artificial tan without parental permission. None did, although Tabitha left each place without tanning. Here's what happened:
Blast Tanning, 721 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn: The clerk did not ask for age or ID and took Tabitha to the back, offering her standup or lie-down tanning and showing her how the bed worked.
Urban Tanz, 133 Roebling St., Brooklyn: Tabitha filled out a new-client form with her date of birth. The employee reviewed the form, took her for a tour and recommended certain intensities for her skin tone.
Beach Bum, 25 W. 14th St., Manhattan: Tabitha checked a box stating she was "under 18" on the client form, and the worker typed the info into the computer. She was then given prices for various services.
EZ Tanning, 133 Fifth Ave., Manhattan: Tabitha listed her date of birth on the application, which included a warning that tanning may be dangerous. She was given a tour and offered the chance to tan.
Solar Salon, 55 W. 21st St., Manhattan: After entering Tabitha's birth date on a touch-screen application, a worker asked the teen for ID. When Tabitha said she didn't have any, he told her she only needed it to get a free introductory tan; without one, she could tan for $7.
Hollywood Tans, 750 Sixth Ave., Manhattan: Once again, Tabitha wrote her birth date on a client form. After reviewing it, the worker showed her how to use eye covers in the tanning bed.

[Rob]

When are we going to stand up and be professional. As long as things like this happen, it won't matter what Berman and Company do.

[thetanningguy]

this industry probably will never stand up and be professional, the large majority of salons are owned by non-professionals who take it lightly and think the object is to get as many people in the door as possible at any cost, with no mind about mediations, skin type, age etc. they all ask how many minutes do you want? Many hire based on apperance, not on their ability to follow rules and understand how the human body tans. TV shows make this look easy I love it when I get the applicant who thinks this is basically a night club and not a job - and they know everything about tanning because they have been tanning before and this will be fun job. And when I do not hire them they get a job down the street and the next day they are left alone to run the salon with zero training, and we wonder why we are being over regulated. The salon is who dictates how many minutes the clients get and the operator should understand how to make that decision. It is truly unfortunate that this is still going on. The whole industry suffers, and the worst part the offenders do not think they are doing anything wrong. I love it when I get a new client and they complain that I asked them about medications, refused to just give them the max time due to burning, and look at me weird as I give them free eye wear- they have never been told that they should be wearing eye protection and they have been tanning for 20 years and the last salon never asked me about my meds, they think I am giving them a hard time!! Wake up people before it is too late! This is not a TV show. Care about this industry for it makes your pay check.

[esun]

Ain't that the truth...the tanning guy hit the nail on the head!

[MacDaddy]

Watch out for the UV police at the beach at Coney Island in the middle of July. They'll lock you up if your underage.

[EliteMike]

the big question is how do soo many salons not know about this important law?? Is it stupidity on the salon owners fault, or lack of news from the states end??

BAD BAD BAD..

[CIT]

Correct me if i am wrong but that law was passed in nassau county and suffolk county - Brooklyn is Kings county.

[CIT]

I remember some uneducated girl from dailynews called me last year and other few tanning salons asking how we feel about that law being proposed and telling me she was going to make an article. I told her that i dont tan people under 14 anyways - they just dont have money coz my cheapest tan is $15 and i have 16-17 year olds who smell like pot or high on extasy while filling out applications. Thats where fat lawmakers should look. And i told her to make sensational article that tanning prevents cancer. She was like so it is acctually good for you? Yes, bi*ch. Open your eyes. If the sun is is bad why would God create it?

[CIT]

Rockland county vetoed that law.

[totaleclipse]

Originally Posted by CIT

Rockland county vetoed that law.

actually RC it was NOT vetoed..the legislators.. (democrats) all voted for IT and it won.. the republicans voted against it becaues it was taking the rights away from parents..

the law in RC is under 14 NO TANNING .. 16 & 17 consent on a monthly basis.

[CIT]

So whats in Brooklyn then?

[totaleclipse]

i think its 18 and under parental consent .and under 14 no tanning

[totaleclipse]

where in BK are you ??

[CIT]

I am in Mill Basin