September 24. The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill stipulating that children under 14 are not allowed under any circumstances to use artificial tanning facilities. The fine for each violation is $2,500 per day. Teens between 14 and 18 need a signed parental consent form to go to a tanning salon.

Before this, the law was already restrictive in this respect: children under 14 had to be accompanied by parents to have access in tanning salons and youngsters between 14 and 18 needed parental consent.

The new law seems to have been adopted as a compromise solution, as it does not bring much improvement to the existing one. Initially, the bill was stipulating that the access of teens under 18 to tanning salons was permitted only under special circumstances, namely only with medical prescription. The initial form of the bill was rejected by the Senate, which agreed to reconsider it. And so they did – the bill was essentially modified, its final form seeming more like an escape solution adopted by officials tired with this matter.

The law comes as a result of the increasing number of melanoma cases. The California Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, that supports the legislators, blames tanning salons for part of the ever increasing skin cancer cases.

Mr. Dan Humiston, The President of the Indoor Tanning Association has reportedly expressed in a statement the great disappointment of the whole indoor tanning industry in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s for signing this bill into law. The disapproval and disappointment of the industry professionals are not that justified, having in view that the final form of the new law barely affects their business. Far from generatig financial prejudices, the law just doesn't change very many things from this point of view either.

Parents, on the other hand, sustain that there is no way that the government should know better what their children need.

However, even not making dramatical changes, the law seems to be a measure of common sense and draws attention towards health hazards children are subject to, as exposure to UV is more dangerous for children and adolescents because of the high cell production rate combined with deleterious UV exposure increases the risk of cancer.

Although there are voices sustaining that a more active campaign explaining the noxious effects of UV exposure would have been more effective, it seems that it is more helpful to restrict health matters by law than leave them to the usually too self indulging individual.