Key West Weighing Oxybenzone/Octinoxate Sunscreen Ban Per Hawaii’s Example
Executive Summary
The Florida island city could be the next jurisdiction to prohibit the sale of oxybenzone- and octinoxate-containing sunscreens. Industry maintains that available science does not clearly link the ingredients to coral decline, with the Personal Care Products Council asking to present before the Key West City Commission at its January meeting.
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Hawaii Contemplates Measures To Increase Access To Sunscreens Following Sunscreen Bans
Hawaii looks to “ease the burden” of finding reef-safe sunscreens by distributing it to sunseekers at beaches. The proposed legislation comes roughly three years after the Aloha State began prohibiting sale of oxybenzone- or octinoxate-containing sunscreen products due to concerns about potential harm to coral.
Key West Bans Purported Coral-Killing Sunscreens, With Florida-Wide Proposal Now On The Table
The City Commission voted 6-1 at its Feb. 5 meeting to prohibit the sale of sunscreens formulated with oxybenzone and/or octinoxate beginning Jan. 1, 2021. That same day, Florida state Senator Linda Stewart proposed similar legislation that would push the effective date up to July 1, 2019, also citing the ingredients’ suspected role in coral declines.
Octocrylene Now? Sunscreen Industry Under Growing Pressure As Environmental Concerns Mount
Lawmakers already are taking action to ban sales of oxybenzone- and octinoxate-containing sunscreens due to signals, however inconclusive, that the ingredients pose dangers to coral health. Now a new study suggests that octocrylene could be a concern as well.