Jennifer Beals Says Toxic Dollar Store Items Target Poor People

She’s not a maniac after all, but a concerned citizen and parent. Jennifer Beals, the accomplished actress and Yale grad who will be forever remembered for her role in the cultural touchstone, Flashdance, is sponsoring a petition to rid dollar stores of toxic products. Beals’ plea hopes to pressure executives at the main dollar store brands — Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and 99 Cents Only — to implement better oversight and toxin testing for the products they sell. The campaign was started earlier this year and is still gaining signatures.

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Beals cites a report that claims 80% of dollar store items contain toxic materials. Beals also says the products are more likely to strike “communities of color” or “low-income neighborhoods” where the stores do the majority of their $36 billion a year business.