Following in the legislative footsteps of California and Vermont, Rhode Island banned the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under the age of 18 without parental consent.
“The American Academy of Dermatology Association applauds Rhode Island for joining in the fight against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and non-melanoma skin cancers. A ban on indoor tanning for minors is critical to preventing skin cancer and reducing our country’s health care costs,” says Daniel M. Siegel, MD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology Association, in a press release.
“This law is similar to bans in California and Vermont that will protect children and adolescents from the health hazards of indoor tanning and send a strong message from the state that tanning is a dangerous behavior and should be avoided.”
More than 3.5 million skin cancers in more than 2 million people are diagnosed annually, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. In Rhode Island, more than 290 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed this year.