In an effort to stem the alarming rate of skin cancer among Israelis, the Knesset is considering a bill that would reduce the price of sunscreens and require all outdoor pools and beaches to provide shady spots for people wishing to avoid the sun.
Knesset members last week unanimously voted in favor of the bill, which was introduced by Knesset Member Rafi Alloul of Labor.
Believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, the bill must pass two more readings before being signed into law.
The legislation would also require schools to include lessons on health dangers posed by the sun.
Revenue for the bill would come from a 0.5 percent tax on tobacco products.
Alloul’s spokesman, Danny Menkin, said the legislator had introduced the bill “after learning how many Israelis, particularly fair-skinned new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere, were developing skin cancer due to a lack of education and the high price of sun-blocking products.”
Depending on the brand and level of protection, a tube of sunscreen can range from $12 to $20.
Quoting statistics provided by the Israel Cancer Society, Menkin said that the rate of skin cancer here has increased dramatically. During the past decade, the incidence of melanoma has tripled in men and has quadrupled in women.
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