SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Parents could soon be required to go with their under-18 teenagers to tanning salons if a bill introduced in the Senate ends up becoming law.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 4-1 to pass Senate Bill 41 (SB41) after hearing testimony from melanoma survivors and doctors.
Advocates of the bill believe the legislation could save lives and reduce the number of melanoma diagnoses. MaryAnn Gerber testified in front of the committee this week. Gerber knows first-hand what it's like to suffer from the long-term effects of tanning. She was diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 24, after she discovered a facial mole. Gerber started tanning when she was a young teenager. She thought it made her look pretty and never realized it was causing her harm. "At the highest point of my tanning, I was going about three times a week," says Gerber.
Gerber had the mole removed along with lymph nodes in her neck. She describes it as a painful process that required a lot of facial reconstruction. It wasn't until her doctor told Gerber her life could be in danger, that she was faced with her own mortality. "I was concerned about my scar, and my doctor just said I'm not here to talk to about your scar, I'm here to save your life!"
Melanoma is the second highest cause of cancer among 15-29 year olds in Utah, according to the World Health Organization. The state also ranks fourth in the nation for melanoma cases per capita. Doctors are seeing melanoma cases at an alarming rate. "Never before have I seen in my practice so many young people, especially young women, coming in and havnig a life threatening diagnosis," says Sancy Leachman, Director of the Melanoma Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
According to Gerber, education is key when it comes to preventing all forms of skin cancer. She is part of an outreach group known as "Sole Survivors" and travels to schools to share her message. She believes that early detection and recommended skin checks will save people's lives. "The first time you save your life, it will be you. If someone else notices something, it's probably too late."
SB41 will go before the full Senate for a vote.
