Politics & Government
Tanning Salons Burned by New State Regulations
Last month a package of new laws took effect that regulate the tanning industry. But local tanning salon owners say they have been unfairly targeted in what amounts to a money-making scheme by the state.
The state is turning up the heat on the tanning industry with a slate of new regulations that took effect last month.
State officials say the new rules are an attempt to rein in an unregulated industry and raise public awareness about the health risks associated with indoor tanning.
"Ultraviolet radiation produced by indoor tanning devices can cause the same damage to the skin as natural sunlight," State Health Commissioner Richard Daines said.
"Because the harmful effects of UV exposure are cumulative over time, indoor tanning devices pose the highest risk to children and young adults by increasing their overall lifetime exposure."
The new laws require salons to post signs warning of the hazards of tanning and obtain parental consent forms from customers who are under 18. Kids under 14 are prohibited from using tanning machines in New York. The regulations also require salons to apply for a permit every two years. The permit costs $30, with an additional $50 fee for each machine in the salon.
The owners of some local tanning salons say that their image as skin-cancer factories is attributable to a handful of poorly-run businesses with uneducated employees, and the new regulations turn salons into ATM machines for the cash-strapped state.
Karen Siciliano, the owner of Valley Tanz in Putnam Valley, said the tanning industry is unfairly being singled out.
"Anything in excess is going to be bad for you, whether it's the sun or a cake or a bag of potato chips," she said. "Tanning needs to be done in moderation, and you need to monitor it."
But the licensing fees, coupled with a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning that was tucked into the federal health care legislation passed last year, belie a "money-making scheme" for the government, she added.
The state is facing a $10 billion budget deficit this year, and officials are scrambling for ways to increase revenue without raising property or income taxes or borrowing money.
According to the Health Department, the risks associated with indoor tanning include skin cancer, premature aging of the skin, allergic reactions and suppression of the immune system.
Siciliano said that when she opened her business in 2008 she was already anticipating the new rules, so she has had to do little to come into compliance - other than cough up $230 to register her salon.
Anthony Quattrochi, owner of Tanfastic in Port Chester, has been in business for more than two decades and said he has always had warning signs posted on his eight tanning machines. If the state was really serious about the health risks associated with UV radiation, he said, they would post warning signs at public parks and beaches.
"The information they're giving to the public is so one-sided; people think that tanning beds are going to cause damage, but that you can lay out at the beach all day and be fine," Quattrochi said.
"Why don't I just put a sign on the door that says 'Don't bother coming in'?"
New York is often derided as one of the least business-friendly states in the country because of high taxes and onerous regulations. Both Quattrochi and Siciliano said the new rules uphold that reputation.
"The state always talks about encouraging small businesses and wanting small businesses to do well, but at the same time there are all of these costs," Siciliano said.
"I love New York, I want to stay here and have a business here," she added. "I can't imagine being anywhere else or my kids being anywhere else, but there has to be something here for them."
