Sunscreen becomes legal in Washington schools

OLYMPIA – Washington students can take sunscreen to school, and school staff can help the young ones put it on to protect them from sunburn and the prospect of skin cancer down the road.

A bill signed Thursday by Gov. Jay Inslee changed a law that lumped sunscreen with school restrictions on prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines because it is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. That meant students couldn’t bring it to school or apply it without a note from a parent and a doctor.

Lawmakers said they were surprised that current law restricted sunscreen, and the bill passed both chambers unanimously. Inslee said the new law, which takes effect immediately, is important for protecting children from skin cancer, which is the most common kind of cancer.