![]() ![]() Given the continued popularity of indoor tanning in the USA and strong data on this as a risk factor for skin cancer, a great deal of skin cancer prevention efforts for young people have concentrated on reducing indoor tanning. While indoor tanning among US high school students slightly declined from 2009 to 2013 among all females (prevalence of 25.4 to 20.2%) and non-Hispanic black males (prevalence of 6.1 to 3.2%), approximately 1.6 million minors continue to indoor tan nationwide. Data suggest there are stronger associations with skin cancer when indoor tanning starts at younger ages and with increasing frequency of use. Approximately 400,000 skin cancer cases are related to indoor tanning in the USA annually. Indoor tanning is an established risk factor for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Additional enforcement or education might increase compliance with indoor tanning bans and action is needed to prevent businesses from stating false health information. While most businesses followed the indoor tanning ban when a minor called, one-fifth did not. Stated benefits included vitamin D (27.7%), social/cosmetic (27.2%), and treats skin diseases (26.4%), with only 4.9% reporting no benefits. However, 21.7% said dangers were no worse than the sun and 10.3% denied any dangers. Among those ( n = 368) that completed the full interview, 52.2% identified burning and 20.1% mentioned skin cancer as potential dangers. Businesses in the south and in states with more recent bans were less compliant. Most (80.1%) businesses told the “minor” caller she could not use the tanning facilities. We evaluated differences in compliance by census region and years since ban was implemented and differences in reported dangers and benefits by compliance. Female research assistants posing as minors telephoned a convenience sample of 412 businesses in 14 states with tanning bans for minors under age 17 or 18. This study aimed to assess compliance with indoor tanning bans for minors and knowledge of dangers and benefits of tanning among indoor tanning businesses. Thus far, studies have assessed ban compliance in one or two states at a time. Some states have passed indoor tanning bans for minors, but business compliance with the bans is not well understood. Indoor tanning is a known risk factor for skin cancer and is especially dangerous for adolescents. ![]()
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