When Sun Tans are Illegal, Only Outlaws Will Look Good

Slate writer William Saletan takes on the newest nanny state cause - tanning salons. They can give you skin cancer and help you get laid; so obviously do-gooders want to regulate, tax and ban them. But as Saletan points out, tanning salons are not only healthier than the sun, they help protect you from the sun.

You can't stop tanning; the best you can do is help people control it. Toward that end, the industrialization of UV light is a blessing. It gives us the power to clarify, modulate and customize dosage. Salons need oversight to make sure they help clients understand and manage this power. But if you shut them down or lock out teenagers, be prepared to enforce a dawn-to-dusk curfew or face an epidemic of skin cancer. If you liked back-alley abortion, you'll love backyard tanning.