Key West Bans Purported Coral-Killing Sunscreens, With Florida-Wide Proposal Now On The Table

The City Commission voted 6-1 at its Feb. 5 meeting to prohibit the sale of sunscreens formulated with oxybenzone and/or octinoxate beginning Jan. 1, 2021. That same day, Florida state Senator Linda Stewart proposed similar legislation that would push the effective date up to July 1, 2019, also citing the ingredients’ suspected role in coral declines.