Dude, what’s this stuff doing in my Gatorade? Teen takes on brominated beverages.

Interview conducted and condensed by Brett Israel
Staff Writer
Environmental Health News

Sarah Kavanagh isn’t your ordinary 15-year-old. Sure, the Hattiesburg High School sophomore rides the bus to school and participates in all the typical activities — everything from Spirit Girls to forensics club. But this Mississippi teen also is behind an online petition to remove a potentially toxic chemical from sodas and sports drinks that are popular with her friends and family.

In a Q/A session, the action-oriented teen said she stumbled across an Environmental Health News article about brominated vegetable oil after reading the label of a Gatorade bottle.

“I was like, ‘Dude, what is this?’…It was disappointing to know that they’d put the consumers at risk like that.”

She called the petition drive, which has attracted nearly 200,000 signatures since November, “really empowering. I’m a kid and I’m getting my point across and people are caring and concerned…I’m glad that people care about what they are eating and drinking.”

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