Sunscreen rules baffle N.Y. parents

ALBANY, N.Y., June 8 (UPI) -- Parents in New York state said they are frustrated by the sometimes conflicting rules governing sunscreen use in schools and summer camps.

The New York state Education Department raised the ire of many parents with rules requiring a doctor's note for a child to be able to bring sunscreen to school or camp, the (Rochester, N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, reported Friday.

"I think that is ridiculous. It just seems counter-intuitive," said Carol Prescott of Farmington, who has a third grader and a kindergartener at Victor Central School District.

However, some districts flout the state regulations, with school physicians and lawyers in Rochester and West Irondequoit saying they do not consider sunscreen to be a drug or medication.

Parents in other districts said they find it difficult to understand why after-school programs licensed by New York's Office of Children and Family Services only require a parent's signature while the students need a doctor's note to bring the sunscreen to school during class hours.