MARYLAND - With kids going off to camp in the hot summer sun, parents want to make sure that their children apply sunscreen throughout the day. But could sunscreen policies complicate things?
It's a story making national headlines - a mother in Tacoma furious after her daughters came home from school severely sunburned. They were not allowed to apply sunscreen because they didn't have a doctor's note which is required by state law. With kids going off to summer camps, how worried should parents be?
"It seems a little preposterous. When you're at camp all day you need to reapply, and most of these younger children that go to the all day camps don't have the capacity to apply themselves - they would need assistance," said Lisa Miller, concerned parent.
In Maryland, sunscreen is not considered a medication and campers do not need a doctors note. However, they are required to have a note from their parents. "There are some cases where kids are allergic to certain sunscreens and so the parents know that and can communicate that to the camps," said Dr. Clifford Mitchell, Asst. Director of Environmental Health & Food Protection.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene wants to assure the public that these policies are in place solely for the safety of the kids. "There had been some questions because there is sensitivity about boundary issues where we want to be sure that kids privacy is respected - we want the parents to clarify what they were comfortable with in terms of having counselors apply the sunblock," said Mitchell.
For more information on Maryland's sunscreen policies, go to www.dhmh.maryland.gov.
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