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Monday, November 16, 2009
Law - "Indoor Tanning Association dispatches lawyer to Muncie"
Seth Slabaugh reports today in the Muncie Star-Press in a long story that begins:
MUNCIE -- Delaware County's proposed ordinance to regulate tanning salons has caught the attention of the Indoor Tanning Association, a national trade group based in Washington, D.C., which sent one of its attorneys here last month to express concern.The county health department plans to start inspecting tanning facilities, with an emphasis on protecting minors.
ITA is hopeful that once county officials hear both sides of the issue they will conclude that local regulation "is something that really isn't necessary," said ITA president John Overstreet.
"Indiana is already one of the more heavily regulated states," Overstreet said. "We're just not seeing any problems justifying the health department getting involved with it.
"With all sorts of big public health concerns like AIDS and swine flu that health departments are facing, we're a little bit mystified why they would want to pull away precious resources to address something that's not a real problem."
But even after meeting with ITA's attorney, county health officials still hope that county commissioners will enact the ordinance, which is being drafted.
While tanning salons already are licensed by the State Board of Cosmetology Examiners, that agency lacks the manpower to inspect tanning facilities and enforce state laws.
What prompted local health officials to take action was the International Agency for Research on Cancer's classification of the use of ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices as "carcinogenic to humans."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 16, 2009 12:20 PM
Posted to Indiana Law