NJ governor signs ban on tanning bed use by minors
NJ Gov. Christie signs legislation banning tanning bed use by minors year after mom charged
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has signed legislation banning anyone under 17 from using a tanning bed and anyone under 14 from getting a spray tan a year after the state's Tanning Mom became a tabloid sensation.
The legislation was developed after a northern Jersey woman accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth was charged last year with child endangerment. The deeply tanned woman became known as the Tanning Mom, but a grand jury declined to indict her in February.
The measure signed Monday night allows 17-year-olds to use tanning salons provided a parent or guardian accompanies them to their first visit and consents.
Christie cites the "documented and well-understood" risks associated with the misuse of indoor tanning systems as a main reason for signing the legislation.