PUBLIC OPINION > Keep Minors Out of Tanning Beds
SodaHead Living
2012/05/14 16:00:00
Following accusations that New Jersey mom Patricia Krentcil placed her 6-year-old daughter in a tanning booth, New York and Chicago lawmakers are proposing to ban minors from using tanning booths. They hope to quell the influx of teens tanning before prom and combat an increase in skin cancer over the last decade, but putting it on the books would obviously impact the tanning business. We asked the public if minors should be banned.
Personal freedom is well and good, but when there are mothers like Krentcil endangering their children, it becomes a matter of public safety. 83% of respondents were fine with a ban, and many thought it was badly needed. The Top Opinion read, "Nobody should use tanning booths, ever. You are literally cooking yourself, it's disgusting." Of course, they're not going to ban it for everyone, but as one commenter wrote, "It's like allowing a minor to drive." Or to smoke, or to drink. It takes a certain level of responsibility.
Libertarians Are Reluctant
Support for the ban was pretty universal, even winning over ban-wary conservatives with 84% of their vote. But the one demographic that came close to rejecting it were the libertarians. 41% of libertarians opposed the idea. As we've seen evidenced in previous polls, libertarians do tend stick to their guns on issues of banning. They genuinely don't like them.
Parents Would Be Pleased
Beyond libertarians, variance was pretty limited. Teens were a little more opposed to the ban than parents, but only by about 5%. That suggests the pre-prom teen tanners that New York lawmakers are worried about aren't all that common, which is reassuring. It also indicates most parents are going to try to keep their kids out of tanning booths whether there's a ban or not.
Men Are A Little More Opposed
One of the only other significant differences was between men and women -- a margin of about 10%. Studies have shown that women are more likely to use tanning beds, though men who use tanning beds typically use them more often. This difference could simply reflect the fact that many men are less familiar with the dangers of tanning beds, as they usually have nothing to do with the things.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about tanning beds. We'd love to hear from you!
That is why bars are only allowed to serve juice and convenience stores have whole coolers dedicated to emptiness. The world is not black and white. We do not need to take every initiative to the extreme.
Do you always write in riddles?
As to your silly question, if there is a medical reason babies need tanning beds then obviously there would be an exception, though the UV from tanning beds is not the same as true sunlight and is more damaging. To suggest that not allowing minors to fake bake will lead to a a banning of sunlight is too goofy to argue.
It's unnessacery. Seriously, what is the big deal about being a little pale?! NOTHING
PLUS
EQUALS
OH GOD NO!!!!