News Summary

HAMILTON — A proposal to ban teens from using tanning salons in the city has local physicians and area business owners going head to head.

On Wednesday the Hamilton City Council is slated to hear arguments on both sides of the issue during a two hour special work session slated to begin at 5 p.m.

The proposal calls for allowing only minors with written medical prescriptions to use tanning salons. Ohio currently allows minors who have parental permission to use indoor tanning facilities.

The council is set to vote on the proposed ban Oct. 25. If passed, the measure would be the first of its kind in the nation.

That fact has brought to light a debate that has grown beyond Hamilton's borders, sparking interest from stakeholders across the state and elsewhere.

A call to ban

In early September physicians with the Butler County Medical Society, the Hamilton-Fairfield Academy of Medicine and the Ohio Academy of Medicine approached members of the council to ask that a local teen indoor tanning ban be considered.

To back their position, the physicians have pointed to medical studies that show overexposure to ultraviolet radiation early in life increases the risk for developing skin cancer.

Among those physicians is Bradford Woodall, who is a practicing radiologist with Mercy Hospital and is a member of the board of the Ohio Academy of Medicine.

Up to 80 percent of skin damage caused by ultraviolet exposure occurs within the first two decades of ones life, Woodall said.

"For the younger person who is still growing, their cells are dividing more rapidly, and they are much more susceptible to damage from that penetrating radiation effect," Woodall said. "It increases the risk of a mutation to skin cancer. It's a huge matter."

More and more, incidents of skin cancer are reported among patients within their 20s, Woodall said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cases of malignant melanoma — the most dangerous form of skin cancer — continue to rise, causing 66,000 deaths annually.

"Growth in the use of sunbeds, combined with the desire and fashion to have a tan, are considered to be the prime reasons behind this fast growth in skin cancers," according to the WHO.

Last March, the WHO released its official position that no person under 18 years of age should use a tanning bed. France and Switzerland have adopted the rule.

To bring that message home, local physicians argue the use of tanning salons by minors should be regulated just as the government bans tobacco and alcohol for youth.

"We don't have adults who understand the risks and damage, let alone children who can be expected to understand it," Woodall said.

His fellow physician Jeffrey Leipzig, a pediatrician and member of the Hamilton-Fairfield Academy of Medicine, agrees.

"Our intent is to protect children," he said. "It's not about anything other than that."

Opponents to the proposed ban, however, say the measure would mean much more.

Opposing views

Hamilton father of two, Tim Johnson said he thinks the call for a teen tanning ban would take local legislative authority too far.

"This is about our rights as parents," he said. "First they take away this. What are they going to take away from us next? They need to be addressing other issues, like why I have so many pot holes on my road that need to be fixed. They weren't elected to be sergeant parents."

Tanning salon owners and those with ties to the industry share Johnson's views.

They argue further that Ohio's regulations are effective and well enforced.

Cleveland-based Martin Gallagher of Suntan Supply, a service-based business for salon owners, has traveled twice to Hamilton to take part in the local debate.

In 2002 Gallagher represented the indoor industry by working with the state Board of Cosmetology to draft Ohio's current regulations.

"We are the strictest state in the nation, and we have the most registered tanning salons in the nation," Gallagher said. "No other Board of Cosmetology has the number of inspectors we do. It's self funded.... I don't think Hamilton is prepared to do it all, even on a small scale."

In addition, opponents argue that a local ban would only entice teens to sunbath longer outside or drive them into homes with private tanning beds where no regulations can be enforced.

"The key is, this is about overexposure," said Dan Casky, owner of Cincinnati Tan Company. "It's pretty much impossible to overexpose in a controlled environment. What's going to happen when you take that away?"

Other opponents argue that information being presented by area physicians is outdated. As the mayor of Kelleys Island and owner of Ohio's largest tanning salon chain Tan Pro, Rob Quinn also has kept a close eye on the local debate.

In thumbing through the information presented to council members, Quinn said he's come across old material.

"My main concern is that I don't think the council is getting the current information," Quinn said. "If you look at this stuff, some of it was published in the 1980s."

Other concerns, he said, are what he considers manipulations in the wording of statistics.

"In one article they gave council from the American Cancer Society, it talks about the fact that one in five people are destined to have some sort of skin cancer. Somehow that has been mutated to state within the proposed ordinance that 'one in five children' will get cancer," Quinn said. "Sure, it mean the same thing, but it also has a whole different meaning in that context."

Decisions, decisions

As for members of the council, many have said that they are taking a wait-and-see approach before making a decision. Some have indicated that local physicians have made a strong argument for a ban. Others say they also are concerned about over legislating.

"I'm not of the opinion that we should try to legislate everything because at some point there should be some common sense prevail," said Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan. "On the other hand, if it's detrimental to your health then the word has to get out there.

"This is going to be a really tough one for the council and the city to determine what is the right course of action," he added.

The council is slated to meet for its special work session at 5 p.m. Wednesday on the first floor of One Renaissance Center, 345 High Street.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2186 or lbernard@coxohio.com.

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