Lights Out for Young Teen Tanners

The agency on cancer research has defined ultraviolet rays as a grade one carcinogen, which is the highest level a substance can be to promoting cancer. In other words tanning can be as dangerous as smoking cigarettes.

Oncology Certified Nurse at Faxton-St. Luke's Karen Miller says, "Long term you have a significantly increased risk of developing skin cancer especially melanoma, which is a deadly form of skin cancer."

            Today the ban on indoor tanning went into effect banning those sixteen and under from indoor tanning. And many health professional believe the law will help prevent cases of melanoma.

Miller says, "We're seeing it in younger and younger individuals because of issues like this where people are partaking in activities that are going to promote their risk."

            The new ban means fewer customers at tanning salons, but some say they won't feel the effects until months from now.

Tanning Salon owner Valarie Enjem-Moore says, "Right now summer and fall are slow usually it will pick up around the beginning of February through April sometimes May."

            The debate among business owners and health professionals comes down to freedom of choice versus protecting children.

"I think basically if you can get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you're old enough to drive, I think you're old enough to make the decision if you should tan in a tanning bed or not" says Enjem-Moore.

"Someone's 13 years old they don't have the ability to make the life-long decisions and so I think we have a responsibility as public health individuals to make sure the choices their allowed to make are ones that are going to be healthy for them" says Miller.