State legislatures nationwide are seeing this year that the professional sunbed industry’s standard of parental consent for teenagers works, and that parties promoting teenage bans are using misinformation to make their case. In New Jersey, the legislature and the governor on Monday chose to ignore our industry’s balanced message and used a woman we’ve all come to know as ‘The Tan Mom’ to sell an outright UV sunbed ban for all clients under age 17 and a spray tan ban for clients under 14.

The Associated Press reported Monday night: “The legislation was developed after a northern Jersey woman accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth was charged last year with child endangerment. The deeply tanned woman became known as the Tanning Mom, but a grand jury declined to indict her in February.”

It is unfortunate that the governor’s statement indicated that an incident that never happened was why he chose to sign this bill. “Tan Mom” Patricia Krentcil never took her daughter into a sunbed, which is why all charges against her were dropped. Further, widely used photos of her dark brown skin at court proceedings last spring were as a result of self-admitted over-use of multiple self-tanning products used by bodybuilders. Media reports have attempted to suggest that Krentcil’s over-use of self-tanning products was a UV tan.

It is unfortunate that Gov. Christie did not cite New Jersey high school basketball star Josh Borrelli, who made headlines this year because he is among millions directed to use tanning salon sunbeds by doctors to treat cosmetic skin conditions.

Blanket bans do not respect the balanced truth about UV exposure.

The American Suntanning Association – which had lobbied Christie’s office to consider constructive compromises – issued the following statement this morning: “The American Suntanning Association is disappointed that Gov. Christie and the New Jersey legislature have decided that government should have more of a say in teenagers’ lives than their parents. When evaluating risks, the World Health Organization recognizes sunbeds and sunlight in the same category. Just as parents have guided their children to avoid sunburn while enjoying days at the beach or playing little league the same should be the case for sun beds. We worked diligently to offer a compromise including stricter regulations, more enforcement and fines and greater parental control, New Jersey has let hysteria supersede the balance between parental rights and effective policy. Blanket bans do not respect the balanced truth about UV exposure. This law will only drive teens to riskier alternatives like home units and beaches.”

ASA has already convinced legislatures in Indiana, Washington, Virginia, Arizona, Montana, Iowa, Nebraska, Idaho, Maryland and other states to rejected blanket ban legislation, urging bill sponsors to work with ASA to draft constructive legislation to bolster the industry standard of signed parental consent. Legislation has been introduced in 30 states this year on this topic, with many bills being re-introduced from previous sessions.