A Maryland melanoma survivor worked with County Council Chairman Ed Middlebrooks to bring forth a bill requiring increased warning signage in businesses offering indoor tanning.
County Executive John Leopold will see his potential legislation take center stage in February at a public hearing. It is not the first of Leopold’s cancer-awareness initiatives targeted to become state law. Leopold likens his crusade to the federal government’s actions regarding warning labels and smoking.
This specific ordinance would require the county’s tanning-equipped fitness clubs, beauty parlors, spas and salons to display warning signage regarding cancer risks – by each piece of equipment and at the front door of the establishment.
A local salon owner reports feeling unfairly targeted, and asks if signage will also be displayed outdoors at pools and beaches. Other salon owners are quick to point out that overexposure in any situation is not recommended, but that efforts should be made to educate the public about safety in moderation – not just to demand scare-tactic warning labels.
Back in 2007, the state did enact a parental consent law for minors who want to tan indoors. Howard County, Md., followed that act in November 2009 with the country’s first total county ban on teen tanning. That proposal was defeated in other counties.
Howard County also already has legislation in place requiring salons to display signage regarding the dangers of melanoma, and tanners also must sign off on having seen such warnings.
Related Articles:
Baltimore County Votes Down Teen Tan Ban
It’s Official: Howard County, Md., Bans Under-18 Tanning
Source:
The Capital: County tanning salons put on notice
