SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Assemblyman Joe Nation is wary of the dark. And the bronze. And even that reddish pink glow.

The Marin County lawmaker, who has pale skin and knows first-hand the dangers of skin cancer, wants to take away every California teenager's freedom to get a wicked indoor tan.

He has introduced legislation banning anyone under 18 from using a tanning machine with ultraviolet rays, except under doctor's orders. No more after-school roasting or base-coating before spring break.

"We don't say it's OK for a parent to give their child a cigarette at age 15, because there is no good that can come from that," said Nation. "We also know there is no good that can come from a tanning salon."

The reaction from the estimated $2 billion-a-year tanning business was mixed.

"This is Hollywood; kids don't live here," said Nick Stone, 35, who answered the phone at L.A. Tanning on Sunset Boulevard.

Over in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles, Ashley Karatsony at Suntans to Go said she thought Nation had a bad idea. Now 18, she has been tanning for several years. She said people from 16 to 60 come into the store, including students from a nearby high school.

"That would definitely be a huge deal," said Karatsony, "especially for like the tanning economy."

As for the possible health dangers, she said: "As long as you're not burning, you are good to go."

Suntans to Go requires teenagers to come with a parent or sign a release in order to tan under ultraviolet rays. Nation had a chunk of his leg removed because of melanoma three years ago, and says there is no healthy tan.

Dermatologists have been warning people away from tanning machines for years.

In California, there is the Filante Tanning Facility Act of 1988.

The law requires anyone between 14 and 18 to bring a note from his or her parent in order to get a tan. Parents are required to accompany any child under 14 who wants to use a tanning booth.

Nation's legislation would bar people under 18 from using a tanning booth unless a doctor says they need it to treat a skin condition. The tanning facility would be subject to $2,500 fine per day for every violation. Local district attorneys could act as tanning police to enforce the law.