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American sunscreen options are limited compared to other countries. Here’s why.

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You may be ready for the start of summer, but is your sunscreen

Compared with other parts of the world, American sunscreen selections are limited due to a law from nearly a century ago that may be blocking the best lotions from your beach bag, CBS News’s Manuel Bojorquez reported for “Evening News.”

The 1938 U.S. law classifies sunscreen as a drug and requires animal testing rather than as a cosmetic like parts of Europe and Asia do — this keeps foreign brands off U.S. shelves and limits sunscreen makers. 

On average, U.S. sunscreens don’t protect as well from skin-cancer-causing UVA rays, according to the Environmental Working Group. One of the group’s studies found only 35% of the U.S. sunscreens tested are strong enough to meet EU standards. 

Why does this matter? Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the country — but also one of the most preventable.

“Almost everybody has been affected by skin cancer. One in five Americans have skin cancer,” said Dr. Robert Kirsner, a dermatologist with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami. “We’d really like to get some of those European sunscreens to the United States, because it’ll give us greater opportunity, greater options for our patients.”

In a statement to CBS News, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it “must balance the public health benefits of access to a broader range of sunscreen active ingredients against the importance of ensuring that the sunscreens Americans use are safe for regular lifelong use.”

Regardless of what’s available now, experts say the important thing is to use what you have.

Kirschner said the sunscreens currently allowed in the United States are still considered safe and effective as long as they are used properly.

The American Cancer Society recommends using a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. You should be wearing this level of sunscreen every day, even on cloudy days, according to the American Academy of Dermatology

“Apply enough sunscreen to cover all skin not covered by clothing. Most adults need about 1 ounce — or enough to fill a shot glass — to fully cover their body,” according to the American Academy of Dermatology’s website, which notes not to forget the tops of your feet, neck, ears and head. “When outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.”



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2 Mississippi inmates awaiting murder trials escape from prison

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7/5: CBS Evening News

18:16

Law enforcement officers were searching Friday for two inmates who escaped from a jail in southwestern Mississippi.

The two men are awaiting trial on murder charges in separate counties.

Tyrekennel Collins, 24, and Dezarrious Johnson, 18, broke out of the Claiborne County Detention Center at about 2:20 a.m. Friday, the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department said in a social media post.

Update: Johnson has a bad limp and an injury to his right leg that occurred during the escape (Pictured on the…

Posted by Claiborne County Sheriff Department on Friday, July 5, 2024

The jail is in Port Gibson, about 60 miles (96.6 kilometers) southwest of Jackson.

Camera footage showed Collins and Johnson escaping through the ceiling and leaving behind an outside wall, Claiborne County Sheriff Edward Goods told WAPT-TV. Johnson injured one of his legs during the escape and was walking with a limp, the sheriff’s department said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said Collins and Johnson are considered armed and dangerous.

WJTV-TV reported Collins is charged with murder in the October killing of his cousin in Copiah County, which is about 40 miles (64.4 kilometers) west of Claiborne County. Court records on Friday did not show an indictment for Collins.

Johnson is charged with murder and aggravated assault in Jefferson County, which is just south of Claiborne County. Court records show he was indicted in the October 2022 killing of one person and injuries to two others. His trial is set to begin Oct. 15.





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As sunscreen misinformation spreads online, dermatologists face real-life impact of online trends

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With the holiday weekend in full swing, the anti-sunscreen movement’s recent spike is worrying dermatologists.

“It was not like this before,” Dr. Jeanine Downie, a board-certified dermatologist with her own practice in New Jersey told CBS News Confirmed. “I see easily six patients per week that are anti-sunscreen, where it used to be maybe one every other week or one a month. And now it’s just gotten crazy.”

Downie says in the last two weeks she’s diagnosed three squamous cell and two malignant melanomas, both of which can turn cancerous if not caught early. “And that’s me, just one little dermatologist,” she said.

This movement picked up steam in June, with creators on TikTok telling followers in no uncertain terms “stop wearing sunscreen.” At first, the posts received tens of thousands of views and likes. Dermatologists on the platform then began sharing their own reactions, with those videos gaining even more views. And more recently, influencer Nara Smith went viral sharing an at-home sunscreen recipe to her 8 million followers that dermatologists say does little to protect wearers from sun damage.

Dr. Shereene Idriss, a New York dermatologist who has amassed more than a million followers on her social media channels, is trying to leverage that influence to educate users about sunscreen and sun protection.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult, I think, as a consumer, to try to weed through the noise,” Idriss told CBS News Confirmed. 

This misinformation reflects the surprising reality of how some young Americans view sun safety. A study by the Orlando Health Cancer Institute in March found that 1 in 7 adults under the age of 35 say daily sunscreen use is more harmful than direct sun exposure. “I tell my patients, if you want your face to look like a leather bag later, then that’s up to you,” Downie said. About 6.1 million adults are treated each year for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas according to the CDC. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the country.

“They only want the natural things,” said Downie. “But I tell them all the time, sitting in traffic here in the tri-state area, the level of pollutants in the air on a daily, weekly and monthly basis is significantly more toxic than any chemical they’re going to rub into their skin with sunblock.”

While there’s no evidence that sunscreens are unsafe, the FDA is currently investigating potential concerns. It’s called for more data on 12 ingredients often found in U.S. sunscreen. After conducting its own study into how certain ingredients are absorbed into the bloodstream, the FDA has called for more research into potential health effects on the body.

However, beachgoers on the Jersey Shore this week told CBS News that sun safety is top of mind this summer. CBS News Confirmed looked at Google Search trends and saw terms like “sunscreen” and “what does skin cancer look like” are at an all-time high since tracking began in 2004.

“You know what gets them to start wearing sunblock?” said Downie. “Young kids and young adults, Gen Z, Gen X, they hate pores. And once they hear that they’re going to have big pores that look like potholes, they put that sunblock on.”

The dermatologists CBS Newsspoke with say there is no such thing as a healthy tan. To best protect yourself this summer, they say to use sunscreen and reapply often; wear UPF clothing or UV visors; and avoid being outside during peak UV index between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.



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