Michigan Anti-Tanning Salon Legislation

[Ezliving_Jim]

Michigan May Add To Regulations For Indoor Tanning Salons


POSTED: 9:24 pm EST January 18, 2008
UPDATED: 9:45 pm EST January 18, 2008

LANSING, Mich. -- That pre-spring break trip to a tanning salon could soon come with some extra paperwork.

A bill pending in the state House would strengthen existing health code requirements that customers under 18 get a parent's permission to get that manufactured golden glow. All customers regardless of age would have to sign a statement indicating they had read a written health warning upon their first visit and signs noting the potential dangers of ultraviolet radiation would have to be posted.


Tanning parlors aren't now licensed in the state of Michigan. The House proposal would require indoor tanning operations to register with the state at the cost of $150 per year and give the Michigan Department of Community Health some limited oversight. Several other states are debating the regulation of indoor tanning parlors. Health care organizations, including the Michigan State Medical Society, are promoting the bills as a way to fight skin cancer.

Tanning salon operators are OK with some of the bill's provisions, particularly the parental consent provisions. But some question whether a new law -- including registration with the state -- is necessary.

VIP Tanning, which has several Michigan locations, already requires all customers to sign a written consent form. Clients under 18 must have a parent go with them on their first visit to sign the form.

"Everybody signs a consent form so they can make informed decisions," said Marshall Habba, manager of VIP's East Lansing location. "It's the policy in a lot of places."

But some lawmakers want to make sure all tanning salons have some degree of state supervision. A fine system would be set up for violations.


"The industry feels most operators are already doing these things. But we want to make sure it will happen across the industry," said Rep. Frank Accavitti, a Democrat from Eastpointe and the legislation's main sponsor. "There needs to be a system to deal with bad actors."

The bills -- still being discussed with tanning salon representatives and state health officials -- soon could come up for a vote in a House committee.

The legislation could help protect the public and drive down health care costs, according to the Michigan State Medical Society.

About 25 states have some form of restricted access for teens who want to use tanning beds.

North Dakota lawmakers passed laws last year requiring children under 14 to get a doctor's permission. Salons must be licensed.

Virginia requires parental consent for customers under age 15. New York prohibits children under 14 from using salons and requires parental permission for those younger than 18.

Ohio already requires parental permission, but a bill has been introduced that would ban anyone under 18 from using tanning booths without a doctor's prescription for ultraviolet radiation treatments.

"Young people want to look good," said Rep. Chuck Moss, a Republican from Birmingham and a co-sponsor of the Michigan bill. "But young people don't always consider the long-term health consequences of exposing themselves to radiation. When you are 14, 15, 16 and you want to look cool in high school, you might be willing to do some things that might put you at serious risk of skin cancer down the road."

But lawmakers in some states aren't convinced they need to get involved. Lawmakers in Colorado and South Dakota last year rejected bills that would have required parental permission.

"States don't have to require businesses to do this stuff," said John Overstreet, executive director of the Washington-based Indoor Tanning Association. "The bottom line is the vast majority of businesses already do what would be required in the bill."

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[Ezliving_Jim]

Editorial: No need to regulate tanning facilities

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 1 million new cases diagnosed each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Finding ways to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer, such as avoiding exposure to ultraviolet rays, undoubtedly would help save lives.

But we don't think state regulation of indoor tanning facilities - as has been proposed in Lansing - would be an effective approach. In fact, we think it would simply place a greater financial and bureaucratic burden on small-business owners.

Legislation pending in the Michigan House would require tanning salons to pay an annual state registration fee of about $150 and comply with a variety of regulations, such as issuing written warnings about the risks of ultraviolet radiation and requiring parental consent for any customers under 18 years of age.

The Michigan Department of Community Health already provides similar recommendations for owners of tanning facilities, including requiring protective eye wear, educating customers about UV rays, setting age restrictions for customers, maintaining sanitary standards and ensuring proper operator training. Most reputable tanning salons abide by such rules voluntarily.

Advocates of state licensing point out that the health department has no power to enforce its guidelines. True, but we don't think the proposed legislation would guarantee enforcement, either.

With an estimated 1,300-1,800 tanning facilities in Michigan, the registration fee would generate less than $300,000 a year in revenue for the state. That hardly is adequate to effectively inspect and license tanning facilities throughout the state. Either the state would have to spend money from other sources to ensure proper inspections or it would have to sharply increase the licensing fees to provide adequate revenue.

We simply do not see the need to create a new state bureaucracy to regulate the indoor tanning industry. Customers can decide for themselves whether a facility is up to their standards.

In these cash-strapped times, the state has all it can handle to ensure that health standards are maintained in medical facilities, eating establishments and other places. It doesn't need to stretch its bureaucratic arm into tanning salons.

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[solarmeter®]

New article today in Detroit News... even has a comment from Vince Lorainne of IST:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...801260344/1001

Cute customer:

http://cmsimg.detnews.com/apps/pbcsi...W=344&MaxH=344

http://cmsimg.detnews.com/apps/pbcsi...W=290&MaxH=290