Bristol’s New Excuse?

Bucking anti-regulation, anti-government, and anti-science folks (as well as snickers from those that laugh at seemingly minor or meaningless legislation), the Democratically controlled CA legislature banned use of tanning beds for minors.  Minors meaning those under the age of eighteen.

…state Senator Ted Lieu, said in a statement.

“If everyone knew the true dangers of tanning beds, they’d be shocked. Skin cancer is a rising epidemic and the leading cause of cancer death for women between 25 and 29.”

Another danger, beyond the Big C, of tanning beds has been identified by the CDC: Indoor tanning tied to risky behaviors among teens”.


Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that using indoor tanning devices was linked to binge drinking, having sex and using unsafe methods to control weight among high school students.

The working assumption is that teens that engage in one risky behavior are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors and those ultraviolet tanning bed lights don’t turn teens into more weight obsessed, hornier, booze hounds.  A shame if it turns out to be only a correlation because teens have a penchant for defying banned behaviors.

It’s not known if Bristol Palin was given access to the tanning bed in the Alaska Governor’s Mansion.  Or if her mother also had one at home.  But blaming a machine would sell well with the Palinbots.