Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Arkansas Passes Law Allowing Students to Possess and Use Sunscreen

  • 03/01/19

Rolling Meadows, Ill., – Arkansas has joined 18 other states in adopting legislation to allow children to possess and apply sunscreen at school to avoid overexposure to the sun, an important step in preventing skin cancer.

Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law HB 1167, which was co-sponsored by Representative Lee Johnson, MD, and carried through the Senate by Senator David Wallace. The legislation is based on ASDSA’s model bill known as SUNucate, which removes barriers that prohibit students from bringing and applying over-the-counter sunscreen at school or during school-related activities. Under the new law, students will no longer require written authorization from a parent, legal guardian or health care professional to possess or use sunscreen at school or school-related activities.

“Sunscreen is one of the best tools we have to protect ourselves from skin cancer,” said ASDSA President Murad Alam, MD, MBA. “Commonsense solutions like SUNucate are one of our strongest defenses against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. We need to encourage children to use sunscreen whenever they are outdoors and practice sun-safe behavior throughout their life.”

The need for such legislation arose after concerns were raised by dermatologists and reports in the national media about students being required to bring a note or prescription from a physician in order to possess or use sunscreen, which is classified as an over-the-counter drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Force both believe that children should have access to sunscreen and other sun-protective measures in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer, which can be deadly.

ASDSA worked with its coalition partners to advocate for the passage of this law. To learn more about SUNucate, visit asds.net/SUNucate.

About ASDSA
With a membership of 6,400+ physicians, ASDSA is a 501(c) (6) association, dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of dermatologic surgeons and their patients. For more information, visit asds.net/ASDSA

Featured

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Dallas-Area District Debuts Three New Facilities

    The Duncanville Independent School District in southwest Dallas, Texas, recently held ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three new facilities that resulted from a $170-million bond program passed in 2023, according to a news release.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.