WHEELING -
West Virginia's upper house wants minors out of tanning beds.
The bill passed by the West Virginia Senate on March 18 would keep anyone under the age of 18 from using tanning salons. It would also require people using a tanning salon to sign consent forms advising them of health risks associated with tanning beds.
One local tanning salon owner views the debate as overheated. She asserts tanning beds have therapeutic values overlooked by zealous legislators.
"We have a lot of people who tan only in the winter time for seasonal depression," Janie Kerns said. She owns Jeni V's Tanning Salon in the Woodsdale section of Wheeling. "There are -- it does make you feel good. I mean, something about the sunlight just makes you feel better," Kerns continued. "If you're in a bad mood, you tan -- you feel much better than when you went in."
Kerns says she makes teens already bring their parents along for their first tanning session, to explain proper use of tanning beds. Under the West Virginia Senate bill, tanning salons would also face annual safety and sanitation inspections, and have to register with local boards of health.
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