Chemical crackdown
I was glad to see Jessica Burroughs’ Aug. 10 Point of View article calling for a new law protecting Americans from toxic chemicals in the everyday products we buy.
Most of us assume that when we buy a can of soup, or a baby crib, or a product to clean our counter, it’s safe. That’s often wrong. Most every can of food we buy has a lining that contains BPA, which can cause cancer and impair brain development in unborn babies. Many of the household cleaners we use contain endocrine disrupters, which are linked to early puberty for girls. There are toxins in all sorts of products that all of us buy.
Not only that, it’s getting into our bodies. All of us have this stuff in our bloodstream – and Americans are getting sicker. We have to do something about this.
What we can do is urge U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr to vote for a sensible reform bill now on the table, the Safe Chemicals Act. It would require companies to provide safety and health information on their products before they are sold to consumers. It's a big step toward solving this big problem.
Sarah Bickley
Durham
