Midway through 2007, I received a call from the ITA regarding a lawmaker from southern Ohio and the recently introduced HB 230. The thrust of the bill was that teens be required to obtain a doctor’s prescription before being allowed to tan indoors in Ohio. Just one year before that, I was called to Hamilton, Ohio, with five hours notice to oppose an amendment to existing city law that would have made it illegal for teenagers to tan indoors. That initial fight cost a group of salon owners and tanning manufacturers more than $20,000 (including myself), while the cost to fight HB 230 exceeded $60,000 (paid in full by the ITA).
The Ugly. The fact is that, over the last few years, we have experienced a surge of state and, in some cases, local battles regarding tanning legislation. This year alone, the ITA has funded and fought state-legislation battles in 12 states. This was down from 20 states in 2007, but only because 2008 was the second year of a two-year legislative cycle. In some cases, the same states that the ITA had previously fought with success came back with new initiatives.
So, why do we continue to fight these battles? Because, even if everyone in a given state could agree on an acceptable minimum age to tan, the battle would not be over. It would only open the industry up to future battles to raise the age even more. For this reason, salon owners need to weigh in on any proposed legislation.
The Bad. There are usually two problems with salon involvement at the legislative level. First, when someone in the industry does get an opportunity to be heard, the wrong message is all-too-often sent out. This might be because a comment is printed out of context or because a journalist asked leading questions to get the type of response that would best fit the slant of the story. It happens. The media isn’t interested in a dull news piece—it’s the reporter’s job to ensure the topic is juicy and, typically, that comes at our expense.
Second, getting salon owners and parents involved is a difficult battle in and of itself. It seems that the general consensus is that “someone else will take care of it for us.” I liken this mentality to voter apathy, the No. 1 reason elections are lost.
The Good. The good news is that we defeated HB 230 in Ohio after 18 months of fighting. After a year-and-a-half of waiting, four hearings (plus two more that were cancelled at the last minute) and testimony from salon owners, parents, ITA members and other specialists, the bill was overturned—only three members (out of 13) supported the bill. And that was just for one state!
More good news is on the horizon, as more news and data regarding vitamin D makes headlines. Noteworthy examples include:
- The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s report on ground-breaking research that indicates tanning may protect against melanoma. This new research shows that the natural, biological process of tanning can further protect our skin from overexposure and therefore reduce our chances of developing melanoma.
- Nancy Snyderman’s report on NBC news regarding yet another recent study on vitamin D deficiency, and the link between deficiency and heart disease. She stated that removing sunscreen and exposing ourselves to 20 minutes of sun per day would elevate vitamin D to required levels.
- Cleveland Clinic Magazine’s four-page article headlined, “The Sunshine Vitamin,” claims today’s vitamin D deficiency is shocking and is associated with many problems. The article goes on to say that children aren’t getting enough sun, even in sunny climates, “because dermatologists have done such a good job of persuading us to use sunscreen to avoid skin cancer.”
- A report from several University of California researchers on sun exposure, vitamin D and Type 1 diabetes in children. Study authors note that Type 1 diabetes is the second most common chronic childhood disease and that it may be preventable with a modest intake of vitamin D3, “ideally with five to 10 minutes of sunlight around noontime.”
- The British Medical Journal’s published results of a study that suggests sun exposure is not the major cause of melanoma.
- Michael Holick’s report on the results of a small study measuring vitamin D levels with supplements and indoor tanning. He said that patients taking 400 IU daily of vitamin D increased their vitamin D levels by 150 percent within five weeks when they tanned three times per week in a tanning bed. That same group of subjects became increasingly vitamin D deficient during winter months, despite taking the oral vitamin D supplements.
Looking Forward
With two-year legislative cycles, we can expect a number of new legislation attempts from the dermatologists. It is important that we react swiftly and professionally to maintain our record in defeating these regulation attempts. We should also be careful to not get cornered by the media and to always request help from the ITA when questioned.
The pendulum is slowly swinging in our favor. Doctors and experts are recognizing the need for our bodies to be exposed to UV light to stimulate the production of vitamin D. As these issues are increasingly discussed, more and more people are in agreement that moderation is key and that the idea of complete abstinence is not only unrealistic, but also unhealthy.
Rob Quinn is co-owner of TanPro, an Ohio-based regional tanning-salon chain. He and his partner, Doug Pfahl, started TanPro USA in April 1998; today, there are 34 TanPro salons throughout northern Ohio. Quinn has been an actively involved with the ITA and, two years ago, he was elected to a board member position in the salon sector. Quinn also has taken an active role in fighting teen-tanning legislation in Ohio.
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