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In May, Hawaii passed a bill to ban sun protection products that cause damage to coral reefs, an initiative to fight the growing number of dying corals. At the heart of the matter are two chemicals used in some sunscreen products, both of which have caused damage to the coral. According to a new report, the Governor of Hawaii will sign the bill later this week, concerns about potential spillages aside
READ: Avoid these sunscreens (they kill coral) [19659003] a combination of reasons, one of the most important being the warmer temperatures of the ocean due to climate change. Previous studies have shown that many popular sunscreen products, which protect swimmers from the damaging effects of the sun, contain two ingredients that damage the coral.
Hawaii's quickly moved earlier this year to lay the groundwork for the ban on these products. the ban will mean fewer people using sunscreen altogether rather than looking for safe alternatives. A decrease in the use of sunscreen could lead to an increase in the number of cases of skin cancer.
Despite this concern – that people may decrease their use of protective creams – the Hawaii government is expected to sign the bill this week, according to WaPo. Assuming that happens, it will be the first such ban in the world. The ban would specifically block the sale of sunscreens that contain octinoxate and oxybenzone, harmful compounds.
Under the bill, only a person with a prescription of sunscreen with these ingredients will be allowed to use them. Stores will have to pull products containing both compounds. This is a key effort to cope with the growing destruction of ocean coral, which plays a vital role in the ecosystem. It's not surprising that some large companies oppose legislation – however, sunscreen products without ingredients are readily available in-store and online.
Once the bill is signed, the prohibition will come into effect on January 1, 2021.
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