Among the many future taxations enacted by the somewhat unpopular health care bill is a 10 percent tax on tanning beds. Many owners of tanning salons, as well as long-time customers, are upset by the impending tax. Owners foresee their businesses taking a major blow by the new tariff, which will go into effect in July.
Being a long time “tanorexic,” I was upset by this condition of the bill since my budget hardly allows for a tanning bed membership as it is. However, after my close friend was diagnosed with skin cancer at the age of 18 due to her indoor tanning habits, my perspective on this tax was changed.
There’s no denying that most of us look better with a tan, but how much are we willing to pay, both physically and fiscally, to look just a little bit prettier?
Tanning beds are not only used for aesthetic purposes. The warmth from the ultraviolet bulbs is very therapeutic and can provide users with vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. However, the risks greatly outweigh the benefits.
According to an article written by Dr. Hema Sundaram, a cosmetic dermatologist, those who use tanning beds more than 10 times a year are seven times more likely to develop melanoma than those who don’t visit indoor tanning salons.
The American Cancer Society states that 8,650 people die each year from this cancer, and 2,940 Americans die from non-melanoma skin cancers. Since one million people are diagnosed with some type of skin cancer each year, it’s clear that most people survive these cancer scares.
However, the process of treating skin cancer is extremely painful, not to mention expensive. A few years ago, my mom was diagnosed with basil cell carcinoma, which she had to have cut out of her face. Although basil cell is the least severe type of skin cancer, affected areas can be very deep, and sometimes require skin grafts to replace the damaged or disfigured tissues after the cancerous cells are removed.
Even though those of us who tan on a regular basis are already predisposed to cancer, another consequence could still be preventable. This repercussion is premature aging &mdash (GASP) wrinkles!
I used to justify this reality by joking that I’ll have to start getting Botox when I’m 25, but the closer I get to this age, the more I realize that this may be true. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to look like I’m 40 when I’m 30.
The good news is we can stop this from happening by either using tanning beds less and turning off facial tanners, or by stopping altogether. Indoor tanning is a tough habit to break, but the new tax on already high prices may push long-time patrons away from tanning salons. Since the tax goes into effect during the slow season, summer, businesses probably won’t feel the loss until winter rolls around, which is when we typically start to develop our pale-phobias.
Tanners may feel attacked by this tax, but other unhealthy establishments are going to lose business due to the health care bill as well. Tobacco companies will take a hit (no pun intended) as the taxes on tobacco products will be raised yet again.
Restaurants that offer fattening foods such as burgers and French fries will be forced to display nutrition facts on their menus next to the items, which will naturally defer a lot of customers. Vending machines will be held to the same standards, which will probably mean more dollar bills in the pockets of habitual snackers.
As unpopular as the health care bill is, it makes sense for the government to add an extra tax to things that are harmful to our health in an effort to break our bad habits. Although the tanning tax may seem unfair now, I predict we will thank the government later for sparing us the pain of skin cancer and wrinkles.
Nora Donnelly is a sophomore majoring in communication. She can be contacted at [email protected].