Effect of Legislation on Indoor Tanning Prevalence in Alabama

Objectives. To examine changes in indoor tanning prevalence among Alabama high school students the year before and after its 2014 legal restrictions compared with Florida, which had more lenient legislation. Methods. We analyzed the Alabama and Florida 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 14 389; population = 1 864 241) by gender, age, year (2013, 2015), state (Alabama, Florida), and year-by-state interactions. Results. Prevalence of indoor tanning was higher among Alabama youths, but the difference did not significantly change after the law was passed in Alabama (between-state change differences ranged from a 3.3% increase among 14-year-old Alabama girls to a 9.7% decrease among 14-year-old Alabama boys). Conclusions. We found no significant changes in indoor tanning among adolescents since the enactment of Alabama’s tanning restrictions in 2014. More oversight and monitoring are needed to ensure that indoor tanning facilities are compliant with emerging laws.