Oppenheim has been studying the negative health effects associated with the transfer of BPA to toddlers and infants through plastic baby bottles, and was granted permission to present her findings to the Broward County Commission on April 13 at 10 a.m.
Arguing in favor of the Commission’s passage of The Broward County Toxin Free Toddlers and Baby Act, Oppenheim will present her recognized research entitled “Bisphenol-A: A Dangerous Chemical With Multiple Modes of Action.”
Oppenheim’s research was awarded First Place at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (2010), First Place at the Florida Academy of Sciences (2009), and Second Place at the Broward County Science and Engineering Fair (2010). She will represent the State of Florida at the National Junior Science Symposium held in Bethesda, Maryland and will also represent Broward County at the Florida State Science Fair later this month.
Similar Toxin Free Toddlers and Baby Acts have already passed by other countries such as Canada and in three New York counties, San Francisco, and Chicago, as well as by the State Legislatures of Minnesota, Connecticut and Wisconsin. This bill is currently pending in three other states: California, Maryland and Washington.
Research has shown BPA causes negative health effects that include cancer, obesity, diabetes, reproductive health issues, and immune complications.
“As a National Board Member of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, I urge the Broward Country Commission to consider the overwhelming and conclusive evidence of the negative health effects of BPA,” Oppenheim said. “Something must be done to protect the children and residents of South Florida from this dangerous chemical.”
Broward County Commission Meetings are open to the public and held in formal session on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. in Room 422 of the Broward County Governmental Center. The meeting can be viewed online through Broward County’s Video Central. For more information on the Commission, please call 954-357-7000.
About Wendi Oppenheim
Wendi Oppenheim is a high school junior at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She is President- Elect for the 2010-2011 school year and is currently serving as Student Council Vice President. Wendi has served as co-Photo Editor of the school’s yearbook and is a member of the Beta Club Honor Society. She is a 2010 recipient of Time Magazine Bentley College’s Tomorrow 25 Leadership Award, recognized as an All American Scholar Athlete by the United States Fencing Association, a Nestle Very Best in Youth Finalist, a three year National Board Member of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint venture of the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, and an Ashoka’s Youth Venture Ambassador.
Oppenheim is President and Co-Founder of The Opp-Guide, a non-profit Web site community designed to help high school students in the tri-county area find and rate community service opportunities based on their interests. She also enjoys photography, fencing, social media, traveling, and skiing.