Teen tanning ban proposed in Oregon

I started tanning in high school
so that I looked pretty for prom.

Wow, it’s been a busy week! On Monday morning, Oregon lawmakers proposed a bill that would prohibit minors under age 18 from using UV tanning beds unless a doctors prescription is provided. I had a chance to speak with several local news stations about the bill, and about my experience tanning frequently as a teenager. Here are links to the news segments in case you missed them.

KGW: “Lawmakers consider teen tanning bed ban”

KPTV: “Oregon bill aims to prevent child tanning bed use”

KATU: “Law would shut minors out of tanning beds”

Some alarming facts about skin cancer in Oregon and across the country:

• Women in Oregon who are diagnosed with melanoma have the highest death rate compared with those who suffer from the disease in any other state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Oregon has the fourth highest death rate for melanoma in the nation.
• Tanning bed use before age 35 can increase an individual’s risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent. 
• Forty percent of white females between the ages of 16 and 18 visit tanning facilities, according to a 2012 Congressional report. 

Stay tuned for more updates on the bill! If you live in Oregon, be sure to contact your state representative to let them know you support the teen tanning ban.