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Delaware bans minors from indoor tanning

Delaware Gov. Jack Markell has signed a bill into law prohibiting individuals under the age of 18 from indoor tanning.

The law, which also mandates the posting of warning signs and statements in tanning facilities, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, and is aimed at reducing the risk of melanoma in teens.

Delaware is now the eleventh state to ban minors from indoor tanning, following suit with Vermont, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oregon, Nevada, Texas and Washington, according to a press release from the American Academy of Dermatology.

The bill passed in the House of Representatives on June 26 by a vote of 40 to 0, with one abstention, and in the Senate on May 13 by a vote of 17 to 0, with one abstention and three absent.

Support for the ban was provided by the American Academy of Dermatology Association, the American Cancer Society — Cancer Action Network, AIM at Melanoma, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association, the Delaware Academy of Dermatology, the Medical Society of Delaware, Moving for Melanoma, and the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, according to the release.