Tanning Beds are a Known Carcinogen. Why Does Arizona Still Let Teens Use Them?

Every May, Skin Cancer Awareness Month reminds us that the sun can be both life-giving and life-threatening. But here in Arizona, where there are over 300 sunny days each year¹, policies have fallen short of protecting our most vulnerable from skin cancer—the most common and one of the most preventable cancers.

Right now, Arizona law still allows minors to use tanning beds, as long as they have a parent’s written permission. Let that sink in: a device known to cause cancer—classified by the World Health Organization in the same category² as tobacco, asbestos, and weapons-grade plutonium—remains legally accessible to teenagers in Arizona, even though 22 states and Washington D.C.³ ban them for minors. This decision is also deferred to parents who may be unaware of the risks or, worse, accompany their children⁴ into the booths.

In medical school, we are trained to focus on disease. But getting my master’s degree in journalism at Stanford has taught me that what we do with what we know—how we tell it, who we convince, and what we change—can matter just as much as the science itself. This past April, I helped organize Arizona’s first-ever Dermatology Trainee Advocacy Day (DTAD), where students and physicians met with lawmakers to learn more about the legislative process and push for policy changes. I’ve seen firsthand that advocacy isn’t just about showing up once. It’s about asking why, despite clear evidence, change still hasn’t come.

Over the past decade, Arizona lawmakers have introduced three separate bills to ban indoor tanning for minors. Some, like the Skin Cancer Preventative Act of 2017, made real progress before dying in the Arizona Senate. Others barely made it out of committee. Each effort ultimately failed, either due to lobbying from the tanning industry, arguments about parental rights that prioritize permission over protection, or a lack of public pressure to act.

This is not just frustrating. It’s dangerous. Nearly one-third⁴ of indoor tanners start before they turn 18. Those who begin tanning before age 35 face a 75% higher risk⁵ of developing melanoma. Arizona’s state cancer registry estimates that about 150 lives and over $7.5 million in health-care costs could be saved⁶ by banning tanning beds for minors. Instead, young people are given access to tools to harm themselves, and then society turns a blind eye to the cost.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month shouldn’t just be about handing out sunscreen samples or posting beach selfies with the hashtag #PracticeSafeSun. It should be a time when we, as physicians and future physicians, recognize our responsibility to speak up for those whose lives may one day depend on a policy we fought—or failed—to change.

So this month, don’t let your voice end at the bedside. Use it in our state capitol. Use it to call our representatives and demand change. Use it on social media and in conversations with friends and family who may not understand the risks.

Because the question isn’t whether skin cancer is preventable. The real question is: what are we doing to prevent it?

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Chikodi Ohaya

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Chikodi Ohaya is a first-generation Nigerian immigrant and a medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. She is an alumna of California Lutheran University and is pursuing her master’s degree in journalism at Stanford. Surviving religious persecution in her childhood imbued her with a strong passion to become an instrument of healing while amplifying unheard voices. She aspires to educate and empower underserved communities throughout her career as a physician and journalist. Aside from her career interests, Chikodi is an avid foodie who is passionate about photography and proficient in American Sign Language.

Chikodi Ohaya

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