To lower the risk of skin cancer in teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants laws in place to ban children under 18 from tanning salons.
In a policy statement appearing Monday in trade journal Pediatrics, the Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based organization reported the intensity of UVR radiation in some tanning beds can be up to 15 times higher than the sun at midday.
That puts teenagers at a higher risk for melanoma, described as the most serious form of skin cancer.
A spokesman for the Indoor Tanning Association told CNN the decision for a teen to tan indoors belongs to the parents, not the government
Still, more than 30 states regulate tanning by minors. Illinois is among the states considering legislation to ban under-18 kids from tanning indoors.
The AAP's statement says tanning is popular among teenage girls.
