On Thursday, Maryland became the first state to enact legislation that will help improve access to palliative care for people with serious illnesses and their families. It's a victory worth celebrating!
That's right a device that if used before the age of 35 increases one's likelihood of getting melanoma by 75 percent is classified in the same risk category as your everyday bandage. It goes without saying that this is ludicrous and must be changed.
The momentum continues! In January, California became the first state in the nation to ban youth under18 from using tanning beds. In May, Vermont passed a similar lifesaving law. Just last week, Chicago became the first major U.S. city to vote to protect young people from skin cancer and melanoma by banning tanning bed use among minors.
As the days get warmer and the sun gets hotter it's more important than ever to raise awareness about skin cancer and the dangers of tanning. That's why the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day as "Don't Fry Day."
As a father, I know how attractive tanning beds can seem to youth who want tan skin all year round. My wife strongly discouraged my daughter while she was growing up from using tanning beds because she was concerned about her risk of getting skin cancer. That's why I was fully supportive and very excited about a historic new law California enacted this month that bans the use of tanning beds for those under 18.