Tanning Bed

The advent of tanning beds in the late 20th century allowed users to achieve a sun-kissed glow any time of the year without ever having to set foot outdoors. Today, low-cost tanning salons can be found across the United States.

In 2015, one congresswoman told Kaiser Health News that it was time to start regulating these businesses like tobacco companies: “They are carcinogen delivery systems. We do not allow our children to buy cigarettes, yet the tanning industry continues to target adolescent girls.” Dermatologists and public health experts point to tanning beds as a contributor to rising skin cancer rates. Melanoma rates among young white women have risen by three percent each year since 1992, coinciding with a surge in low-cost tanning salons.