New State Law Bans Tanning For Texas Minors
FORT WORTH (KRLD) - Among the many new laws taking affect this month is one designed to prevent teens from getting skin cancer. The new Texas law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using tanning beds...even with their parent's permission.
The statewide ban on minors using tanning beds was passed by Texas lawmakers in July and went into effect on September 1. It was largely due to research by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, which found the risk of getting melanoma increases by 85% for teens who start indoor tanning before the age of 18.
Oncology professor Jeffrey Gershenwald says education is vital to making this law work.
"Melanoma is one of the most common cancers in 15 to 29 year olds in the US right now," said Gershenwald.
He adds artificial UV has joined tobacco and plutonium on the World Health Organization's list of carcinogens.
Texas is the fifth state to pass such a law banning children from using indoor tanning beds.
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