Teen tan ban approved by legislators

ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVB) - A new law is only one signature away from banning customers 16 and under from ever stepping into a tanning booth in New York State.

Scott Hangauer was diagnosed with melanoma a couple of years ago. The primary spot was on his ear, but then spread down to his neck. He sees the teen tan ban as a good thing and only wishes it was in place when he was tanning.

"From 16 to about 17 and a half I was a heavy, heavy indoor tanner. Almost every single day I went. I really think that if it was...I think that I wouldn't have had to go through what I went through," he said.

Both the State Senate and Assembly approved legislation that would prohibit teenagers 16 and younger from indoor ultraviolet tanning devices. Dr. Ilene Rothman, attending dermatologist at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, says its the right thing to do.

"Those who do indoor tanning have 35 percent greater risk of skin cancer, and melanoma is the second most common cancer in those individuals age 15 to 29," she noted.

But Dan Humiston, who owns 31 tanning salons in New York, says he's discouraged and frustrated and predicts it will hurt business.

"The ultra violet light you get in a tanning bed is exactly the same as the ultra violet you get in the sun," he argued. "Exactly the same. So everything that they're saying about a tanning bed applies to the sun when you're laying out at the beach."

Hangauer countered, "I think when you're young , you're in high school, you're just not that concerned with it, and it's really hard because there's a lot of pressure on you."

Dr. Rothman said she feel it will save lives.

"We've seen an increase of melanoma nationally, and we certainly see it here as well in our practices that indoor tanning has increased the incidence of melanona."

The ban will become law 30 days after Governor Andrew Cuomo signs the bill. There is still a parental consent component that applies to those 17 years of age who wish to tan indoors.