Assembly Committee Approves Ban on Indoor Tanning for Minors
Statement from Ethan Hasbrouck, NJ Director of Advocacy, American Cancer Society of NY & NJ, regarding OK by Assembly Committee on Women and Families on bill to ban indoor tanning for minors.
“Kids should not be exposed to indoor tanning because it causes cancer. That’s the clear message that the Assembly Committee on Children and Families is sending by approving a bill to ban access to indoor tanning for minors under age 18.
An American Cancer Society report released last week shows a 43 percent increase in New Jersey’s melanoma rate in just a 10 year period. Indoor tanning is a major factor fueling that increase.
The World Health Organization (WHO) puts tanning beds in the highest cancer risk category - group 1 - 'carcinogenic to humans.’ That’s the same class as arsenic, asbestos, benzene, dioxin, mustard gas, tobacco smoke and vinyl chloride. According to the WHO, use of tanning beds before the age of 30 increases the risk of melanoma 75 percent.
The bill has cleared a hurdle in the Assembly, but there is still much to do. The American Cancer Society urges the full Assembly to adopt this measure and urges the Senate to move this bill quickly through committee and onto the floor for a vote.”
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About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.