Maine Kids Aren’t Allowed To Bring Sunscreen To School?!

When I was in grade school, we had Field Day every year somewhere in the last week or so. There were no classes. We just had this quasi-Olympic style series of events, and there were plenty of "participation trophies" to go around.

But I also distinctly remember throwing sunscreen in my back pack when I left that morning. Or that is to say, I remember my mom pretty much chasing me out the door with it. And I don't recall any teacher scolding us for bringing it, or taking it away, or whatnot.

But apparently, in Maine, sunscreen is classified as an over-the-counter drug. What?! C'mon..... So consequently, a student must have expressed, written permission to carry this menace to society. Last I knew, there were no Walter White's out there turning sunscreen into methamphetamine.

But, according to WMTW - TV8, it's an oversight that will have to be corrected through proper channels in our state legislature. Don't they have enough on their plates, than to decide whether or not we should take basic steps to keep our kids from getting sunburns, or worse, something like skin cancer?

Do we really need to waste our legislature's time with this kind of hoopla? Well, the answer is yes. It actually required drafting an "Act To Reduce Childhood Exposure to Harmful Ultraviolet Radiation by Allowing Students To Use Sunscreen in Schools". Even the name of it sounds overblown and pointless. Kids just shouldn't need special permission for sunscreen.

But hey, at least we're moving in the right direction so that kids will be safe. I have zero problem with that. I just think it's a waste of our time and resources to even have to take these steps. But now I just sound like a cranky, old curmudgeon. Oh well.