Hawaii bans popular sun protection brands to protect its coral reefs, United States News & Top Stories



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HONOLULU (WASHINGTON POST) – From Banana Boat to Coppertone, leading sunscreen brands will have to revamp their products or stop selling them in Hawaii.

Hawaii's governor, David Ige, signed Tuesday, July 3 a law banning Hawaii's first US state to enact a law to protect marine ecosystems by banning these sunscreens.

"This is only a small step towards protecting and restoring the resilience of Hawaii's reefs" Ige, a Democrat, said at a signing ceremony for the bill, which will come into force in 2021, reported the Associated Press.

The bill, known as SB 2571 chemicals, oxybenzone and l & # 39; octinoxate, "have significant adverse effects on the marine environment and residential ecosystems of Hawaii."

The legislation aims to keep sunscreens that contain these chemicals off the store shelves. the products would still be available to those who have a prescription from an authorized health care provider, according to legislation.

The bill is disputed by various companies and professional badociations and even some dermatologists, who fear that the ban may discourage r people wear sunscreen at all.

State Senator Mike Gabbard, the Democrat who introduced the bill, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that it would act as "a first law in the world". So, Hawaii is definitely at the forefront in banning these dangerous chemicals in sunscreens, "said Gabbard in an e-mail to the newspaper.

" When you think about it, our island paradise, surrounded by coral reefs, is the # 1 39 perfect place to establish the gold standard for the world to follow. This will make a huge difference in the protection of our coral reefs, marine life and human health. "

According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, coral reefs are crucial and h According to the Smithsonian, besides the protection of marine creatures, reefs provide jobs in the fields of food, medicine and tourism – worth $ 30 to $ 172 billion a year. "Overfishing and destructive fishing, pollution, warming, the evolution of ocean chemistry and invasive species make havoc. In some places, the reefs have been completely destroyed, and in many places the reefs are today a pale shadow of what they once were. "

Environmental organizations argue that some sunscreens – which showed research may wash skin in the water to swim or bathe – may be toxic to coral reefs.

SB 2471 states," Oxybenzone and octinoxate cause mortality in developing corals; increase coral bleaching which indicates extreme stress, even at temperatures below 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius); and cause Genetic damage to corals and other marine organisms has also been shown to impair the resilience and ability of corals to adapt to climate change factors and inhibit the recruitment of new corals. Oxybenzone and octinoxate appear to increase the likelihood of endocrine disruption. "

" The legislator also finds that contamination enviro Oxybenzone and octinoxate persists in Hawaii's coastal waters, as contamination is constantly renewed and renewed daily by swimmers and bathers. According to the bill, the Star-Advertiser reported that the proposed law, which would come into force in 2021, was challenged by ABC Stores, the Hawaii Medical Association, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, the Council personal care products and Bayer, which manufactures sunscreens by Coppertone.

Jay Sirois, director of regulatory affairs for an badociation representing sunscreen manufacturers, recently told NPR: "We are removing a product or products. . . Bayer said in a statement in May that the company intends to comply with the legislation, but that "the elimination of the use of sunscreen ingredients considered safe and effective by the FDA with a long history of use not only restricts consumer choice, but is also at odds with efforts to prevent skin cancer.What has been scientifically proven is that Exposure to the sun's UV rays causes skin cancer.And sunscreen is one of the most effective ways of protecting oneself from UV rays, in addition to wearing protective clothing, sunglbades and sunglbades. sun and stay in the shade. "

Edgewell Personal Care Manufactures Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreens" Some of our products contain FDA-approved amounts of oxybenzone and octinoxate , active ingredients that are con To protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light and provide "The ingredients contained in our products are clearly listed in the active ingredients on the label so that consumers can make buying decisions in knowingly. As always, we will continue to comply with all relevant regulations regarding oxybenzone and octinoxate. "

Johnson & Johnson, owner of Neutrogena, has endorsed the position of its commercial organization, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association." The health, safety and well-being of millions of Hawaiian residents and tourists have been severely compromised By SB 2571, which aims to ban "at least 70% of the sunscreens on the market today, based on the weakness of sunscreens" overwhelming scientific evidence shows that excessive exposure to the sun without effective sunscreen increases the risk of developing skin cancer in adults and children, "said the badociation in a statement in May

" Prohibition of oxybenzone and alcohol. " Octinoxate – key ingredients in effective sunscreens on the market – will drastically and unnecessarily reduce the selection of safe and effective solar products available to reside "The oxybenzone and the octin Oxate, found in the majority of sunscreens, are safe and effective active ingredients recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as important aids to reduce risk. to develop skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States. "

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