Senate committee kills bill to keep minors from using tanning beds
Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, told Stu Johnson of WEKU-FM, “I just can’t get to the point where I ban juniors and seniors in high
school from using a tanning bed. I think they’re of age to be
responsible enough to understand the consequences.” (Read more)
Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, said he didn’t “support
the bill because it is an example of the government telling people how
to live their lives,” The Associated Press reports. “He noted his wife had skin cancer in her 20s that
was not caused by a tanning bed.” (Read more)
Seventeen states and Washington D.C. have laws banning minors from using tanning beds, and 33 states and Washington, D.C., regulate the use of tanning beds by minors, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. California, Illinois, Nevada, Texas, Vermont and Oregon ban tanning bed use for all minors, with exceptions made in some cases for medical use. (Read more) (American Academy of Dermatology graphic of state tanning laws for minors)