Common Sense For New Hampshire

“Think before tanning”

Here at the shore we should all be aware that skin cancer is a serious, deadly problem. Legislation intended to stop children from using tanning salons is being sponsored by Mary Pat Angelini, a Republican, and Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat. This measure will prevent disease and save lives and deserves everyone’s support.

David Schneck, who is running for Belmar borough council as an independent with a radical libertarian viewpoint, recently spoke out against this reasonable proposal. “It’s the parents’ job to decide what’s best for their kids,” he said, according to the Asbury Park Press of Sept. 1. I’m sure Mr. Schneck is a great father and a smart man who wouldn’t let his children engage in dangerous activities like exposing themselves to ultraviolet radiation in a tanning salon.

Unfortunately, many parents are not aware of the severe peril their children are in when subjected to salon tanning, and many parents may not be strong enough to prohibit the activity, especially in the all-to-common cases of divorce where children may play one parent off the other to receive permission to have themselves artificially tanned, tattooed, or pierced. The proposed law would protect all children from exposure to salon radiation, and would eliminate the problem of kids forging parental signatures on consent forms. These children, too young and immature to make intelligent decisions on their own, may later regret trading their health for the dubious fleeting “benefit” of a salon tan.