'Ban the Tan' Bill Headed to Governor's Desk to Be Signed Into Law

The Jim Fulghum Teen Skin Cancer Prevention Act is headed to Governor McCrory’s desk after the Senate passed the bill on a vote of 48-2 on Wednesday. The bill would ban children under 18 from using tanning beds in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) supported the North Carolina Dermatology Association in their long battle to get this bill passed, citing the many scientific studies linking tanning sessions to increased risks of skin cancer like melanoma. The House approved the bill in March and previously in 2013. The Senate had been the obstacle to passage, with some lawmakers worried about government intervention on an issue they say should be left to parents.
The current law requires parental permission for children age 14 to 17 to use a bed and a doctor’s written prescription for those 13 and under.