State suggests 17 is too young to tan
Roughly 30 percent of the customers at L.A. Tan in Palatine are teenagers, which means business would take a big hit if Illinois legislators pass a law prohibiting anyone younger than 18 from using a tanning bed.
“They just increased our taxes so much, and now this?” said L.A. Tan owner Inesa Berkeshchuk, who — like many suburban tanning salon owners — is keeping a close eye on what's going on in Springfield. “If I want to let my daughter tan, why not? I trust my parents more than I trust the government.”
Yet, proponents of a ban say teens' health is at stake.
The legislation, proposed by state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, an Evanston Democrat, could be scheduled for a committee hearing as early as this week. But it's far from becoming law, and no votes have yet been taken. The law would not apply to spray tanning.
Schoenberg couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
On Schoenberg's side is the American Academy of Pediatrics, based in Elk Grove Village, which on Monday called for banning access to tanning beds by anyone under 18. The pediatricians' group released a policy statement encouraging teenagers to stay away from tanning parlors because too much exposure to ultraviolet light can increase their chances of getting skin cancer.
“Public awareness of the risk is not optimal, overall compliance with sun protection is inconsistent and melanoma rates continue to rise,” the statement says. “The risk of skin cancer increases when people overexpose themselves to sun and intentionally expose themselves to artificial sources of (ultraviolet rays). Yet people continue to sunburn, and teenagers and adults alike remain frequent visitors to tanning parlors.”
In Illinois, the minimum age to use a tanning bed is 14, and that's been the rule for the past 20 years, said Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Kelly Jakubek. Teens age 14 to 17 need a parent's permission.
The state has 1,572 registered tanning salons.
Tanning is a popular spa service among teens, who use it to improve their skin tone, especially around school dance time.
Kristina Mickeviciute, 16, of Palatine, a sophomore at Palatine High School, has regularly used tanning beds since age 14 and her mother approves. The majority of her friends tan, too, she said, and they like it because it helps them relax, look good and warm up in the winter.
If the ban passes, “I'd be really upset. I don't think it's fair,” she said.
Dr. Mike Smith, a dermatologist at Vanderbilt University who helped craft the AAP statement, said teenagers aren't necessary more susceptible to the dangers of cancer-causing light than other people. But if young people start tanning early, they'll build up more damage over a lifetime, he said.
“Habits start young and continue,” he said.
Berkeshchuk said many parents buy salon memberships for their children.
“I have parents who actually come in and tan with their daughters,” said John Szymski, owner of Toucan Tan in Grayslake and Glenview, who prides himself on his strict oversight of customer tanning bed usage.
Berkeshchuk said she has 60- and 70-year-old customers who use her tanning beds on doctor's orders, to get a short weekly dose of vitamin D that ultraviolet rays provide. Szymski said he has clients who use tanning booths to help control their eczema and psoriasis.
Jackie Keil's 17-year-old son used to treat his acne by having a dermatologist give him injections in his face. Because he hated it so much, he tried going to a tanning bed once a week instead — and his acne improved, she said.
“It's a lot cheaper than a dermatologist, that's for sure,” said Keil, of Grayslake, who works at Toucan Tan and has tanned since age 14.
Her husband says tanning beds help with seasonal depression, she said.
In July, a federal 10 percent tax was imposed on indoor tanning, aimed at reducing the rate of melanoma and helping to pay for health care reform.
A ban on teen tanners, Szymski said, would hurt even more, and he's trying to rally state lawmakers against it.
“If it starts to cause business to drop, and tanning salons start going out of business — almost 70 percent of all tanning salons are owned by women and at least 90 percent of their employees are women — think about the impact of that,” he said.
Cathy Fursu of Glenview and her 17-year-old daughter go tanning together before warm-weather vacations and always use protective lotion and eye covers.
Fursu says she's aware of the cancer risks involved, especially since she has pale “Irish skin,” but she believes using tanning beds moderately and responsibly doesn't put you at high risk.
“The biggest problem I have with (the proposed law) is I don't think it's their job to tell me what's safe for my child,” she said. “We're the parents, and we're responsible for what's right and wrong. Tanning should be at the bottom of things they are worrying about. They should be worrying about underage drinking rather than a 17-year-old who uses a tanning bed a few times before she goes to Florida. This is something they shouldn't have their noses in. I'm a 51-year-old woman, and I should be able to decide if my 17-year-old should tan.”