South Carolina students will no longer need a doctor’s note or permission from the school to bring and use sunscreen at school starting this fall. A new law, enacted in May 2023, aims to protect students from sun exposure and skin cancer risks by allowing them to apply non-aerosol sunscreen products on school grounds.
Sunscreen was previously treated as an over-the-counter drug by the Food and Drug Administration and was banned or restricted in many schools. Some students had to get a prescription from their doctor and store the sunscreen in the school nurse’s office. Others had to rely on their parents or teachers to apply sunscreen for them.
The new law, which was sponsored by State Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Richland, and State Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, changes that. “We want our kids to be safe and healthy, and this is one way we can help them do that,” Bernstein said.
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman also praised the law, saying, “It’s a common-sense measure that will make it easier for students to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays.”
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and more than two people die of skin cancer every hour. The risk of skin cancer is higher for people who have had five or more sunburns in their life.
Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist and director of the Bureau of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control at the Department of Health and Environmental Control, said, “This is a huge win for our students. Sunscreen is not a medication, it’s a necessity.”
The Melanoma Foundation of New England, a nonprofit organization that advocates for sunscreen access in schools, applauded South Carolina for joining the movement. “We are thrilled that South Carolina has joined the movement to allow students to use sunscreen at school. This is a simple but important step to reduce the risk of skin cancer for our children,” said Megan Rothschild, senior director of communications at the foundation.
South Carolina is the 27th state to adopt such a law. The other states are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Dr. John Hainsworth, chief scientific officer at Sarah Cannon Research Institute and co-chair of the South Carolina Cancer Alliance’s Skin Cancer Prevention Committee, urged parents and students to take advantage of the new law. “Sunburns are not only painful, but they can also increase your risk of developing skin cancer later in life. That’s why it’s so important to apply sunscreen every time you go outside, especially during the summer months,” he said.
Relevant articles:
– A new SC law lets students bring this helpful item to school starting this fall. What to know. By Lou Bezjak, The State. Published on July 27, 2023.
– New S.C. law lets students to bring sunscreen to school without a doctor’s note. By Emily Wakeman, WIS. Published on July 27, 2023.
– New South Carolina Law Lets Students Bring Sunscreen to School. By Mary Liz Nolan, Augusta’s Morning News. Published on July 27, 2023.
– SC students can now bring sunscreen to school without a doctor’s note. By WSPA Staff, WSPA.com. Published on July 28, 2023.
– Sunscreen in schools: New SC law allows students to protect themselves from sunburns. By Lauren Sausser, The Post and Courier. Published on July 29, 2023.
– New law allows SC students to bring sunscreen to school without a prescription. By WMBF News Staff, WMBF News. Published on July 30, 2023.