Taxing Indoor Tanning: Financial Troubles for the Average Consumer

Some say that the taxing of indoor tanning will lower the skin cancer rates caused by the prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. This is ridiculous. A ten percent tax will not stop anyone from tanning - it will just burden the pocket books of some of the most strapped for cash consumers and cause less money to be spent in our weakening economy.

Let's face it; most of the people that tan aren't the richest. Sure, there are a few oddballs here and there with tons of money that go tanning, but most high school or college students. Every time I have gone tanning, the majority of the customers were under the age of 25. Tanning is too important to a lot of people; this tax will hardly stop anyone from going. It's a good fundraiser, but the government really needs to think of what other areas this tax is taking money away from.

There are three major types of tanners: year-long, seasonal, and occasional. None of these people will stop just because there's a tax. They "need" their tan. I'm an occasional tanner myself. I, like thousands of other girls (and boys, whether or not they like to admit it), tanned for prom while I was in high school. High school students don't have a lot of money. They'll pay for their tanning, but other "less important" businesses will lose the revenue. The other popular occasional tanners are brides and their bridesmaids. Once again, does someone either paying for an expensive wedding, or an expensive bridesmaid's dress have the extra cash for a tax on tanning? No. Will they spend that money anyways? Yes.

Seasonal and year-long tanners come from the same mold. The only difference is the season tanners prefer to use real sunlight throughout the summer and just use the tanning beds in the winter. To these people, a constant tan is an important part of their self image. It's just like someone who won't leave the house without putting on makeup. A tan is part of who they are. Granted, these are the people that are most likely to acquire skin cancer at some point in their lives. These tanners spend a lot of money on tanning already, and a ten percent tax will make that amount even more. People with a permanent tan are also more likely to be the people that spend a lot of money on clothing and other personal items. Frankly, they just won't have as much money to spend.

The ten percent tax on the tanning industry may be a good fundraiser for the health industry, but most avid tanners will not let this stop them. It's either an addiction or an important part of being "socially acceptable" at a prom or wedding. This tax will lower the spending money of the average consumer, and further harm our suffering economy.