The Daily Dispatch

At the end of January, the N.D. House of Representatives passed bill 1154 regarding parental consent for those younger than 18 to use tanning beds.

The bill passed 62 to 27 and did not follow partisan lines. District 25 Rep. John Wall, R-Wahpeton, was among the majority of lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill.

With legislative crossover happening today, the Senate will now takes its shot at the bill. Wall thinks the Senate will also pass it.

"Considering what we know about skin cancer, what I've heard in testimony and in floor action it seemed a threat," Wall said. "As policy makers we need to protect minors from ultraviolet radiation."

Northcoast Tanning owner Steve Hinsverk originally thought the bill was for those younger than 16, but doesn't think the bill, if made a law, will make a difference in business. "A large percentage of my customers are under 18," Hinsverk said.

However, Hinsverk also sees a lot of men in their 30s and 40s coming in to tan, "probably because it's not a salon" he added. These men come in to tan mainly because they are traveling. Women in their 30s and 40s are a steady customer base as well and are even seen bringing their daughters in to tan.

Bill 1154 is meant to protect minors from getting skin cancer, which is basically protecting people from themselves — Wall doesn't always support this type of legislation, but in this case however, he supports the bill because it seeks to protect minors.

Wall is a retired teacher. He said many teenage girls tan during prom season with parental consent. He said this law likely won't change the present tanning culture. He said if parents are against tanning, their children simply don't tan. He still supports this legislation because it seeks to protect children.

Hinsverk agreed because he's seen so many parent-children duos coming in to tan together and many parents dropping their children off to tan.

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