With Trump, Tanning Bed Industry Feels Optimistic For First Time In Years
The Obama administration has been tough on the industry, but they see a ray of light with the new president.
The Desert Sun:
No Surprise, The Tanning Bed Industry Sees A Friend In Donald Trump
The Obama years have scorched the indoor tanning industry. The first hit came when tanning customers were singled out with a new 10 percent tax as part of the president's health reform bill. The tax along with greater awareness of the cancer risk associated with too much sun exposure have helped decimate tanning businesses. One trade group says about 10,000 tanning salons have closed across the country since 2010, eliminating up to 100,000 jobs and cutting the industry by half. Those who are left think incoming President Donald Trump can help reverse that trend, starting with dropping the tax as part of his steadfast promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Newkirk, 1/18)
In other public health news —
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
Cost Of Smoking At $300 Billion A Year For Americans
WalletHub, a personal finance web site, pegs the real cost of smoking for Americans at $300 billion a year. That includes the cost of cigarettes, medical bills and loss of productivity. ... Kentucky ranked No. 1 with the lowest amount at just over $22,000 a year while New York was last with over $45,000. (Ibarra, 1/18)
The Bakersfield Californian:
In A First, BCSD Uses Local-Control Dollars To Open Wellness Centers
Citing a need to address student health holistically, the Bakersfield City School District has opened three multi-million dollar regional wellness centers funded with a new kind of state education dollars, a first in California, officials said Wednesday. Construction of those free clinics was made possible by the Local Control Accountability Plan, a state funding model introduced in 2012 that gives school districts more discretion over how to spend state money. In this case, BCSD decided that its students could not perform academically unless their entire families were in good health. (Pierce, 1/18)