Isabella Ragonese
Introduction to Public Health
October 30, 2014
Policy Prohibiting Minors’ Use of Indoor Tanning
Executive Summary: Skin cancer is an extremely prevalent and disease affecting many Americans. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation in a person’s early life can magnify their risk for developing skin cancer in the future.1 In North Carolina, the legislature HB118/SB167 proposes to prohibit the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under age 18. It could be argued that this law would be hard to enforce and infringes on individual freedom. The regulation of minors’ risk behaviors, however, is an important and reasonable role for the government because young people cannot always make mature decisions for their own health.10 Eliminating …show more content…
A predicted 9,710 people will die of melanoma in 2014.1 Risk behaviors like the use of indoor tanning and neglecting to shield skin from solar radiation are factors contributing to the increase in skin cancer cases.6
Critique:
There are at least 41 states in the U.S. that restrict the use of indoor tanning for minors, and 11 states completely ban indoor tanning for all people under the age of 18. The proposed legislature HB118/SB167 in North Carolina would forbid the use of indoor tanning services by minors under the age of 18.7 …show more content…
Skin cancer, though harmful and potentially deadly, is not contagious and does not expose other people to health dangers. Using indoor tanning, therefore, is only dangerous to the individual making the choice to do so. The libertarian argument is that the government should not regulate decisions that only affect the health of the individual. Policies that violate this personal freedom are perceived as overstepping the role of the government to “promote the general welfare” and are condemned as
Introduction to Public Health
October 30, 2014
Policy Prohibiting Minors’ Use of Indoor Tanning
Executive Summary: Skin cancer is an extremely prevalent and disease affecting many Americans. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation in a person’s early life can magnify their risk for developing skin cancer in the future.1 In North Carolina, the legislature HB118/SB167 proposes to prohibit the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under age 18. It could be argued that this law would be hard to enforce and infringes on individual freedom. The regulation of minors’ risk behaviors, however, is an important and reasonable role for the government because young people cannot always make mature decisions for their own health.10 Eliminating …show more content…
A predicted 9,710 people will die of melanoma in 2014.1 Risk behaviors like the use of indoor tanning and neglecting to shield skin from solar radiation are factors contributing to the increase in skin cancer cases.6
Critique:
There are at least 41 states in the U.S. that restrict the use of indoor tanning for minors, and 11 states completely ban indoor tanning for all people under the age of 18. The proposed legislature HB118/SB167 in North Carolina would forbid the use of indoor tanning services by minors under the age of 18.7 …show more content…
Skin cancer, though harmful and potentially deadly, is not contagious and does not expose other people to health dangers. Using indoor tanning, therefore, is only dangerous to the individual making the choice to do so. The libertarian argument is that the government should not regulate decisions that only affect the health of the individual. Policies that violate this personal freedom are perceived as overstepping the role of the government to “promote the general welfare” and are condemned as