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Yesterday was a big day. Thousands of people across the nation asked Walgreens to get serious about toxic chemicals. I was one of the thousands.
I went to my local Walgreens to ask them to Mind the Store. And this wasn’t my first visit to Walgreen [2]s asking that very same question.
What is the Mind the Store Campaign?
In 2013, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families launched the Mind the Store campaign. The campaign was created to ask our nation’s top ten retailers to avoid carrying the Hazardous 100+ [3] toxic chemicals. These toxic chemicals have been linked to cancer,infertility [4], learning and developmental disabilities [4], behavioral problems,obesity, diabetes, and asthma.
Walgreens [5], the largest drug store chain nationwide, hasn’t responded to our campaign.
My Visit to Walgreens
This visit I had a chance to meet with the store manager and one other employee. We had a fabulous conversation.
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I let them know that, as a customer, I’m finding it increasingly hard to find safe products free of toxic chemicals. Due to our lax federal laws on toxic chemicals, products filled with toxins are ending up on the shelves in Walgreens.
We talked about the new study by HealthyStuff.org showing a range of products that Walgreens sells containing one or more toxic chemicals. These toxic chemicals include PVC [7], phthalates [8], and heavy metals that have been linked to asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, reproductive problems and cancer.
The store manager responded with a “Wow! That’s a lot of chemicals!”
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Given that their competitors like Target and Walmart [10] have already begun to take comprehensive action, we want Walgreens to feel the heat and be the next major retailer to develop a corporate chemicals policy.
The store employees promised to pass the message along to their corporate office. Fingers crossed that they follow through.
Take Action
Walgreens is the nation’s largest drugstore chain, and they have the power — and moral responsibility — to ensure that the products they sell do not contain dangerous chemicals harmful to our health.
Unfortunately, Walgreens has yet to respond to our repeated letters and requests to do something.
Join me along with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families to call on Walgreens to Mind the Store and protect our families from unnecessary dangerous chemicals.
Send them a message HERE [11]. I promise it will only take a few seconds.
Do you find it hard to find products without toxic chemicals?
Thank you to my 10 year old for his extraordinary patience while filming the video above.
Check out some of the experiences people had at Walgreens:
- Lynn – Illinois – Toxic chemicals in everyday items at Walgreens
- Anne – Tennessee – An inside look at the Mind the Store campaign [12] (Interview with our very own Mike Schade) and Tennessee Walgreens, time to Mind the Store for children’s health [13]
- Megan – New York – Green Divas take action and tell Walgreens to get tough on toxic chemicals [14]
- Shane – Florida – My brawl at Walgreens while asking them to Mind the Store [15]
- Katy – Vermont – Seven year old leads the way to safer products [16]
- Lindsay – Washington DC – Walgreens customers raise concerns about toxic chemicals