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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > May > 20 > Entry
Miss Ohio, medical community back youth tanning ban
Press release from State Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton:
Miss Ohio Karissa Martin today joined State Representatives Courtney Combs (R- Hamilton) and Lorraine Fende (D-Willowick) at a press conference to recognize May as Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in Ohio.
“We welcome Miss Ohio to the Statehouse and I commend her efforts on raising awareness of skin cancer especially amongst the youth,” Combs said. “I am glad she was able to join us for the first annual Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in Ohio.”
Karissa Martin of Woodsfield was crowned Miss Ohio in June 2008 and recently represented Ohio at the Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas. She was present a the Statehouse to accept a resolution from the Ohio House of Representatives honoring her achievements and to speak in support of legislation to regulate the use of tanning beds by minors. At the age of 14, Martin discovered abnormal skin cells resulting from sunburn. As Miss Ohio, her pageant platform has been focused on providing education to youth on the dangers of skin cancer and methods of preventing this deadly form of cancer.
“My platform is much more than just a platform,” Martin said. “It is a passion to educate our youth and in some small way help in the battle against skin cancer. I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to join Representatives Combs and Fende in support of House Bill 173 and wish them the best in their endeavor.”
House Bill 173, jointly sponsored by Reps. Combs and Fende, would require consumers under 18 to obtain a prescription from a medical doctor to receive services at a tanning facility. Current law allows those under 18 to receive services with parental consent.
“House Bill 173 is a very important piece of legislation that is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue but an Ohio health issue,” Fende said. “By regulating the use of tanning beds by minors, we will be taking preventative steps to avoid possible serious health issues later on. Quite simply, the perceived cosmetic gains associated with tanning beds are not worth the irrevocable damage resulting from the intense UV radiation the beds produce.”
Currently there are 20 other states considering similar legislation. Dr. Mark Bechtel, director of dermatology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, also spoke in support of House Bill 173 on behalf of the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA).
“As a physician, I have become increasingly alarmed by the increase in the number of my young patients presenting with melanoma and other serious skin cancers caused by excessive exposure to hazardous ultraviolet radiation in tanning beds,” Bechtel said. “Therefore, Ohio must take bold action in enacting House Bill 173 to ensure that minors are no longer exposed to the harmful human carcinogens produced by tanning beds.”
The measure is also supported by the American Medical Association, the Ohio Dermatological Association, the American Academy of Dermatology Association, the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Melanoma No More, and the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Reps. Combs and Fende will provide sponsor testimony on House Bill 173 before members of the Ohio House Consumer Affairs and Economic Protection Committee tomorrow.
Participants in the press conference included Representatives Courtney Combs and Lorraine Fende; Karissa Martin, Miss Ohio 2008; and Dr. Mark Bechtel, director of dermatology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
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