A Vote to Change the Florida Sunscreen Ban

Towards the start of the year, Key West issued a ban on specific sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, in efforts to protect our coral reefs.

The sunscreen ingredients prove FDA approved but evidence suggests they may cause coral bleaching and other toxic effects.

Due to this, Key West made it illegal to purchase sunscreen with these ingredients without a prescription.

However, this past Monday the Senate committee approved a measure that would not allow local governments to ban over-the-counter sunscreens of any kind.

According to WPTV, Senator Rob Bradley a Fleming Island Republican, expressed his concerns of the impacts on coral reefs but believes the prevention of skin cancer is more important. The ban discouraged civilians to purchase sunscreen and this should not be happening as it is extremely important to protect our skin.

The vote for this new bill resulted in a 3-1 approval by the Senate Community Affairs Committee.

The bill, Bradleys bill, is filed for the 2020 legislative session and will begin on January 14.

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