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More states allow sunscreen at schools without doctor's OK

Posted at 4:49 PM, May 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-14 19:52:01-04

More states are letting kids use sunscreen at school without a doctor's note.

Arizona, Washington and Utah have become the latest states to enact laws freeing students to bring sunscreen to school without special paperwork.

Similar legislation is moving forward this spring in Rhode Island, Louisiana and Florida.

Many school systems categorize sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug because it's regulated as a medication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Parents concerned about sun overexposure leading to skin cancer have supported the measures to loosen the restrictions. Some apply sunscreen on their children in the morning, but the kids can't reapply it later in the day without special permission.

Some school nurses have voiced concerns about loosening the restrictions because some children are allergic to the lotions.