Actions

Tanning beds in NY: How young is too young?

New York poised to raise minimum tanning age
Tanning beds in NY: How young is too young?
Posted at 1:54 PM, Jun 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-13 13:54:06-04

A law that would prohibit anyone under 18 years old from hitting the tanning beds is on its way to Governor Andrew Cuomo's desk for a signature.

The proposed rule passed the New York State Senate yesterday after passing the Assembly in April.

The law raises the legal indoor tanning age by two years -- right now anyone over age 16 can use indoor tanning booths.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a strong proponent of raising the indoor tanning age to 18 because of the harmful effects of UV rays, which include premature aging of the skin, wrinkles, solar keratosis, permanent eye damage, and skin and ocular cancers. The ACS estimates that one in nine teenage girls has used an indoor tanning device despite the dangers, and that number increases to one in six by the time the girls reach their senior year of high school. The ACS believes teens are particularly susceptible to the tanning industry's marketing promotions that often feature back-to-school, prom and homecoming specials.

Currently, only 11 states prohibit tanning among minors with no exceptions.

Take WKBW Everywhere, on all your devices.  Download below!

Phone or Tablet: Apple, Android
Set-top Device: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Alexa

Personalize your news, get the latest 7 First Alert Forecast, and watch 7 Eyewitness News video wherever, whenever.

Learn more here about what 7 Eyewitness News provides on all these devices.