Governor Signs Lieu Bill to Fight Skin Cancer in Teens

Sacramento, CA – This weekend the Governor Signed AB 105, a bill by Assemblymember Ted Lieu (D- Torrance) that would require in-person parental consent for all teens prior to using indoor tanning devices.

“Indoor Tanning has contributed to an alarming rise in Skin Cancer rates in the US,” said Lieu. “”This bill will allow parents to be educated about the risks of teen tanning and then make the right decision for their teen.”

Last year the American Academy of Dermatology reported that melanoma, caused by sunburns and UV light damage to the skin, has become the most common cancer among men and women between the ages of 20 and 29, and malignant melanoma is the leading cancer-causing death among women aged 25 to 29.

“Indoor tanning during youth prematurely ages the skin and increases the risk of skin cancer,” said Dermatologist Craig A. Kraffert, M.D., of the California Society for Dermatology. “Unchecked indoor tanning during youth has the potential to make America's epidemic skin cancer statistics even worse. For these reasons, CalDerm supports thoughtful, rational disease prevention policy such as that in the measure proposed by Assemblymember Lieu."

AB 105 will require in person parental consent for all minors aged 14 to 18 prior to the initial use of a tanning device and will prohibit tanning facilities from advertising fraudulent or misleading claims stating that indoor tanning has any sort of health benefit.

AB 105 has had widespread support from various Medical Organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the California Medical Association, and the California Society of Dermatology.

“The fact is that indoor tanning not only irrevocably damages the skin but can also cause deadly skin cancer, “said Lieu.  ”The purpose of this bill is to protect our youth from being misled and making decisions that could ultimately cause permanent health damage.”