The American Suntanning Association came out on the winning side or is on track to win in 11 state legislative issues in 2022 without a defeat, continuing its efforts to use science to convince legislators that our approach to sunburn prevention and parental consent for tanners is the best way to address sun care issues.
ASA is now 25-0 in the past two years in state house issues and 41-1 in the past three years.
“We have blazed a common approach of putting real-world sun care in constructive, scientifically supported terms,” says ASA Director of Scientific Affairs, Joseph Levy, whose responsibilities include managing the Association’s state advocacy efforts. Since 2015, ASA has convinced state legislatures 120 times that our positions make sense – continuing to win when we have the opportunity to lay out the unintended consequences of anti-sun legislation.
“We can demonstrate that our position is solid scientifically,” said Levy, who has now traveled to 43 different state capitols on behalf of ASA and ASA partners.
2022 State Capitol Highlights:
Levy has worked hard to educate both sides of the aisle that professional sunbed facilitates have a scientifically-supported position. That’s become more and more important, as sun care topics have become less partisan than the days of the 1990s, when it was simply a “more-or-less regulation” issue.
“I’ve been pretty consistent for 30 years that effective sunburn prevention is the future of professional sunbed operations,” Levy said. “And there’s no doubt that’s the gas that puts fuel in our engine. Demonstrating that to both sides of the aisle is going to be more and more important as we enter the next decade.”
Tanning professionals in every state are encouraged to join ASA to help the association fund this advocacy work. Call 855.879.7678 or visit AmericanSuntanning.org/register.
“The best way to keep anti-sun legislation from getting any traction is to re-dedicate your tanning business to professional practices, sunburn prevention, and to be worthy of the path that is being blazed for the tanning market of tomorrow,” Levy said. “And get involved with ASA. We need your support.”
Founded in 2012, the American Suntanning Association is committed to defending and growing the industry through a detailed and proactive plan directed by an all-salon board and executed by more than two dozen management and consulting team members who specialize in this type of work.
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