Teenagers under the age of 18 would be prohibited from using tanning beds under a proposed law passed by the State Assembly.

AB105 raises the minimum age kids may use tanning devices to 18. Under current law, children 14 to 18 can use tanning booths with parental permission.

Dermatologist Dr. Timothy Rosio supports the bill and said that tanning beds can be even more dangerous than natural sunlight because they primarily use ultraviolet "A" wavelengths.

"Tanning booths offer a different slate of risks. The ultraviolet "A" that you get in a tanning booth is hundreds or even a thousand times more intense than what you get from natural sunlight," Rosio said.

Rosio said UV rays contribute to skin damage and cancer such as melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the leading cause of cancer deaths among woman aged 25 to 29.

Opponents of the bill include the tanning salon industry. Stephanie Bodine, owner of Planet Beach in Roseville, said teens should be able to use tanning booths as long as they have parental permission. "I really think it's the parents' decision what their teen should and shouldn't do," said Bodine.

AB105, authored by Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-El Segundo, now heads to the State Senate for consideration. If it passes and is signed into law, the teen tanning booth ban would take effect January 1, 2008.