{"id":23322,"date":"2018-02-16T13:18:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T19:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/update.legislature.ne.gov\/?p=23322"},"modified":"2018-02-16T13:18:28","modified_gmt":"2018-02-16T19:18:28","slug":"bill-seeks-to-curb-teen-indoor-tanning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/update.legislature.ne.gov\/?p=23322","title":{"rendered":"Bill seeks to curb teen indoor tanning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers began debate Feb. 15 on a bill that would prohibit Nebraska tanning facilities from allowing people younger than 18 to use tanning equipment.<\/p>\n

\"Sen.
Sen. Anna Wishart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2014, the Legislature outlawed the use of tanning equipment\u2014which includes sun lamps, tanning booths and tanning beds\u2014in indoor tanning facilities by people younger than 16. An exception exists if a parent or legal guardian signs a statement before each use indicating an understanding of the warnings provided by the facility and consenting to the minor\u2019s use of tanning equipment.<\/p>\n

LB838 would raise the age to 18 and remove the exception for parental permission.<\/p>\n

The bill would not apply to a licensed physician who uses phototherapy in the practice of medicine. Phototherapy is defined as the use of equipment that emits ultraviolet radiation for the diagnosis or treatment of disease or injury.<\/p>\n

Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, sponsor of LB838, said it is time for the Legislature to revisit the issue. Evidence continues to mount regarding the danger of indoor tanning, she said, including new research showing that the use of tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75 percent.<\/p>\n

The 2014 law likely has saved lives, she said, but is inadequate.<\/p>\n

\u201cScience tells us that youth have a diminished capacity to understand and weigh long-term consequences before taking action,\u201d Wishart said. \u201cThis session we can be leaders in reducing rates of skin cancer by imposing similar restrictions to those we have on tobacco products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Omaha Sen. Rick Kolowski, a former high school principal, spoke in support of the bill. He recalled the intense peer pressure exerted on teens\u2014especially cheerleaders and dance team members\u2014to use tanning beds. That activity certainly has resulted in negative health impacts, he said.<\/p>\n

The state does not allow minors to purchase alcohol or cigarettes with parental consent because of the dangers those products pose, he said, and indoor tanning should be treated the same way\u2014as a public health concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven with the current parental permission requirement, parents may not be fully aware of the dangers of indoor tanning,\u201d Kolowski said.<\/p>\n

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha opposed the bill, saying it may not accomplish its intended purpose and would limit parental authority. He said a group of young people in Omaha recently took a discarded tanning bed and severely harmed themselves by using it without any supervision because their parents would not sign the consent required under current law.<\/p>\n

Rather than restrict young people further, he said, the Legislature should concentrate on making sure that current law is being followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want anybody who wants to go to a tanning bed [to] go to a tanning bed in a safe condition that\u2019s regulated,\u201d Krist said. \u201cThis bill takes out all parental rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Legislature moved on to another item on the agenda without taking any action on LB838.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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