A National Academies of Sciences report is expected in coming weeks on the environmental impacts of sunscreen ingredients and potential human health issues associated with changing use patterns. But Hawaii County legislators decided they couldn’t wait for new information to come to light, voting yes on a measure to ban sales of non-mineral sunscreens, which became law on 8 July.
Hawaii County has decided not to follow the state’s lead in waiting for a national report on sunscreen ingredients’ environmental and public health impacts before taking action against non-mineral UV filters.
Hawaii’s Big Island will join with Maui County to only permit titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in sunscreens sold within...