Lowey Secures Provision Requiring New Standards on Sunscreen

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today announced that the FY08 Agriculture Appropriations bill includes a provision she wrote requiring that, within three months of the bill’s enactment, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issue comprehensive new standards for sunscreen for measuring and providing Ultraviolet-A (UVA) protection. No such standards currently exist, yet many products make claims about protection levels against these harmful rays.

 

“Today’s action should light a fire under the FDA to recognize the critical danger facing Americans today,” Lowey said. “The FDA has done a good job ensuring that consumers are protected from UV rays that cause sunburn, but consumers may wrongly believe that their sunscreen is sufficiently blocking all the rays that cause skin cancer. In fact, the only thing really being blocked is the truth.”

 

According to a report by the Environmental Working Group, at least 51% of the products on the market contain false or misleading claims, such as “provides all-day protection,” and “blocks all harmful rays.” An estimated 12% of sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30 do not contain any ingredients at all to protect against rays that cause premature aging and skin cancer despite some manufacturers’ claims that they do.

 

The provision included in the FY08 Agriculture Appropriations bill is similar to a bill introduced by Congresswoman Lowey, which would also require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a public awareness campaign about the dangers of overexposure to the sun, ways to protect oneself, and proper use of sunscreen to maximize its effectiveness.

 

Currently, the FDA requires U.S. sunscreens to provide a certain level of protection against UVB radiation—the rays that cause both sunburn and skin cancer. The standard to measure effectiveness in the product set by the FDA is reflected in the SPF rating that appears on every single sunscreen label. However, no standards exist for protection against UVA radiation – the rays that cause skin cancer but not sunburn – leaving a critical gap in public health protection.

 

More than one million people in the U.S. alone are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, making it the most common form of cancer in the country. Despite its prevalence, skin cancer is largely preventable by avoiding the sun during peak hours in summer months and incorporating effective sunscreen use into one’s daily routine.