Maryland Bans Tanning by Minors

Maryland’s Senate and House of Representatives have passed bills that would prohibit those under the age of 18 from using indoor tanning devices in the state as of October 1, 2019. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and the World Health Organization classifies indoor tanning devices as “carcinogenic to humans,” its highest cancer risk classification.

This ban is critical in the fight against melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, as rates of this deadly disease continue to rise. In 2019, approximately 1,750 Marylanders are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma and 110 are expected to die.

Thirty-five percent of American adults, 59 percent of college students, and 17 percent of teens have reported using a tanning bed in their lifetime, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Currently, more than one million Americans are living with melanoma and in 2019 over 192,000 more will be diagnosed. Melanoma is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in adolescents. It is the number one cause of cancer death in women ages 25 to 30 and the second leading cause in women aged 30 to 35.