Business Law Legal Memo

As of July 1 of 2010 tanning salons across the United States were forced to apply a 10% tax to indoor tanning services as a part of president Obama’s federal healthcare act. Just recently due to a study performed by the American Medical Association, there is controversy over whether or not to ban teens under 18 from using indoor tanning beds at all, parent-approved or not. The tanning industry is under attack, figuratively speaking. For a number of reasons, the Federal government should not have the authority to regulate the indoor artificial tanning industry, but instead the parents of the minor. Deeper economic issues, a progressing invasive government, and even an interference with one of our inalienable rights are all reasons to oppose this potential new law.

Not only is the Federal government banning indoor tanning for minors, but applying a 10% tax as well. Businesses will lose revenue due to a loss of income from a large percentage of customers being under 18. Ultimately, tanning salons across the United States could close their doors, consequently turning a $5 billion industry into a $0 industry. “Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the United States annually. Of these, 2.3 million are teens” (Kantrowitz). If the Federal government were to regulate indoor tanning, that would mean losing out on roughly $650 million a year out of the $5 billion industry just by making the use of tanning beds illegal for persons under the age of 18. That is a large chunk of change. With the U.S. economy currently in a recession, it would not be a logical decision to lose any more of its income. Personally, one of my closest friends owns a local tanning salon and I know his family would especially be hit hard financially. Economically, this is not the time to serve this type of burden. Therefore, the Federal government does not have the authority to regulate the indoor artificial tanning industry. However, this industry should be regulated, but by the parents of an