A proposal that would make it harder for Texas teenagers to enter the tanning bed was compared to legislation against Big Tobacco as lawmakers took up the issue.
“In the United states and Texas, we don’t allow our teens to purchase cigarettes until after they are 18 because it is a carcinogen,” said Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton. “Yet we don’t do that for tanning beds, which can expose teens to the same risk for cancer.”
The bill would require anyone under 18 years old to get a doctor’s note before using a tanning bed and would require a parent be with them in the salon. Supporters and detractors said this would be the strictest legislation any state has passed on teen tanning.
Aside from the fact I think Texas legislators should be focusing on something more important than tanning bed laws during these tough times, when our state has all kinds of real problems, I don’t have a dog in this fight. I don’t use tanning beds, don’t have teenagers, and couldn’t really care less what the laws concerning tanning beds and teenagers are, but I do have a suggestion to all those distraught teens and parents who are worried the little snots won’t be able to get that perfect tan:
Go outside! Put on a swimsuit or some other skimpy attire, step through that thing called a door, and move around in the sunlight! It’s ridiculously easy and FREE to get a tan in Texas, and actually doesn’t take any longer than lying around in a tanning bed. I am not known for my dark tanning ability, and even I am getting a tan this year just from being OUTSIDE for 15-30 minutes a day.
Oh, but the horror! They might get too much sun, might have to wear sunscreen, and they may even get bitten by a bug or sweat a little. Can’t have that! And what would they do outside anyway? There’s no XBox or MTV or air conditioning! Much better to get skin cancer indoors, right?
anecdotally, my sister used tanning beds and was treated for skin cancer at 22. my dad, literally a redneck from his time in the sun, managed to make it to his early 50s before being diagnosed with skin cancer. as for me, i think i’ll stay indoors and live with being lily white. (though it may not have saved me, as i have a couple of rather scary-looking spots on my arms.)
I’ve never been a sun worshipper, meaning actually going out on purpose to get a tan, because I really don’t tan. If I know I’ll only be out for about 15 or so minutes, I’ll go ahead and wear my skimpy summer clothes, but when I know I’ll be out in the garden or yard for a long time, it’s a long-sleeved cotton shirt and jeans for me. Even though I have always done that, I’ve got one little spot I am kind of watching. I’ve got horrible dry skin, so it could just be a spot that’s particularly dry right now, or not. If it makes any changes or doesn’t go away as summer progresses, I might have to get it looked at. Lin’s got one too, so maybe we should both go.
I have a friend who did the tanning bed stuff like crazy, and yup … kin cancer in her late 20′s. My great aunt, a farmer and outside for hours every day of her life, didn’t have a problem until she was in her 70′s. UV is bad no matter where it comes from, but just lying in it soaking it up on purpose in high doses, always seemed a little like asking for a problem later.
I’m actually getting a tan this year from the gardening work, and it’s weird. I am so used to being whiter than white! Going to have to be careful this summer though. It’s only March, and our UV index has already been through the roof. If other people can safely be outside for ten minutes, that means I probably shouldn’t go outside at all. :lol: