Parents must OK tanning of teens in Davis

FARMINGTON — Teens will now need to be accompanied by their parents if they want to visit tanning salons in Davis County.

The Davis County Board of Health, which had been considering an all-out ban on commercial tanning for anyone under age 18, decided Tuesday morning to allow tanning with parental consent.

But parents must go along for the ride.

"My view is: Let's give parents the first opportunity," said Ron Garrison, the board's chairman.

In talking with youths, parents, school principals and tanning facility operators, Garrison said, he learned the county doesn't need to ban youths from seeking a tan.

The board plans to study the regulations over the next 18 months to see if changes need to be made. It also plans to work with other county health departments and the Utah Department of Health to come up with uniform regulations. Currently, Salt Lake and Utah counties allow tanning for minors with parental consent. Weber County currently has no regulation.

Parents — provided with information about the potential damage ultraviolet rays can cause and faced with the inconvenience of driving children to a tanning facility — likely will limit children's exposure, Garrison said.

Most of the board agreed. By a vote of 7-2, the wording in the proposed regulations changed from a ban to parental consent.

The two board members who opposed the wording change, Dr. Charles Harpe and Joseph Mott, said the board had a chance to take a strong stand for public health.

"This is a known carcinogen and it's being administered to the children of our county," Harpe said. "If we prevent one or two deaths . . . then gee, I think we've done our duty."

Mott said he's generally not a fan of government intrusion into people's lives.

"I think there are some instances where it's warranted," he said.

About 80 people reportedly attended a Jan. 5 public hearing on the matter. Tanning Oasis, which has locations in Roy and Layton, offered a week of free tanning to any of its customers who showed up, and 485 people signed petitions against the ban.

Brian Moser, who owns Tanning Oasis with his wife, Bernice, said he was pleased with the outcome of Tuesday's board meeting.

"It may dampen the opportunity for some kids," Brian Moser said.