WASHINGTON — Montgomery County is now the second Maryland county to ban the use of indoor tanning devices for minors.
On Tuesday, the County Council voted unanimously to support the bill. The restrictions include the use of tanning beds, tanning booths and sunlamps at salons and spas.
Until now, businesses could allow teens 14 and up to access indoor tanning devices if they had signed permission from a parent or guardian.
The legislation was sponsored by Montgomery County Councilman Tom Hucker, who said since the World Health Organization classified indoor tanning devices as Class I carcinogens, the county should take action.
“By law, we attempt to shield our children and teenagers under the age of 18 from the harmful health effects of tobacco and non-tobacco smoking products, and we should do same here,” Hucker wrote in a March letter to the council.
The bill also calls for businesses to post warning signs about the risks of indoor tanning. Businesses would have to include precautions for use of the equipment and require that customers wear protective eyewear.
Howard is the state’s only other county to restrict access to indoor tanning facilities.
