Utah state Sen. Patricia Jones, D-Holladay, plans to introduce legislation that would ban minors from using commercial tanning salons in the state. That's a bad idea.
Five years ago, Jones spearheaded a law that required Utah's minors to have parental consent to use tanning beds. That was a good idea, and that law needs to be enforced. But simply banning the use of tanning beds for minors is an overreach by government.
Jones and other teen tan-ban supporters say the new law is needed because the current law is not being enforced as well as it should be. Teens, apparently, are using tanning salons without getting parental consent. But making a new law because the old law is not working is not a good enough reason to ban tanning for teens in Utah.
The right solution is very simple -- insist that the requirements of having parental consent forms for minors using tanning beds is enforced.
We're not comfortable with government making a decree that tanning beds deserve the same outlawed status for minors as alcohol or tobacco. There are still many, many decisions that parents and guardians are capable of making for their children, no matter what some issue advocates or pols seem to think.
So far, only California has banned tanning beds for minors, although Utah and a few other states are mulling the bad idea over. Before we harm business in the state and restrict choices by consumers, let's make a serious effort to enforce the current law and make sure that minors have parental consent before tanning. That seems to be the correct solution for minors, their parents and commercial tanning salons.
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