Why is the breast cancer epidemic still raging after 30 years of “awareness” and pink ribbon products?
More info and videos
Each year, corporations pack the shelves with pink ribbon products, surrounding us with “breast cancer awareness” messages. These products help to raise billions of dollars in the name of breast cancer, yet more than 40,000 women in the U.S. still die of the disease every year. Worst of all, many corporations are selling pink ribbon products in the name of breast cancer that contain chemicals linked to an increased risk of the disease. We call those corporations “pinkwashers.”Take action now to end pinkwashing once and for all through regulation of the toxic chemicals that are making us sick in the first place.
Interview with Lea Pool, Pink Ribbons Inc. Director, 2012
Can a little pink ribbon hide so many secrets and lies? What is going on between philanthropy and breast cancer? Did large corporations highjack the cause? Is this breast cancer “awareness” doing more harm than good?
Pink ribbon culture distracts from meaningful progress on breast cancer
Pink Ribbon Blindfold picture Copyright to Mark Chilvers, thank you to Unison for the use of the picture. Concept by Helen Lynn.
This post content is published by FromPinktoPrevention, a new breast cancer campaign that exposes the barriers to achieving ‘primary prevention’ ie stopping the disease before it starts.
OCTOBER – BREAST CANCER PREVENTION/AWARENESS MONTH
In the forthcoming Breast Cancer Awareness Month we ask if you can remove the Pink Ribbon ‘Blindfold’ and ask the Breast Cancer Charities this BIG QUESTION:
WHY do they persist in refusing to acknowledge the role of environmental and occupational toxicants by ignoring decades of evidence up to the present day on the link between our lifelong (womb to grave) exposures to toxics and the escalating incidence of breast cancer?
Why do Breast Cancer Charities continue to focus solely on ‘lifestyle’ risk factors such as diet and exercise, while ignoring the potential 60% of breast cancer cases for which they have no explanation. What about the role of chemical, environmental and occupational exposures in this?
Better diagnostics and treatment is not mutually exclusive with looking at how our profoundly polluted environment, homes and workplaces impact on our bodies and health, while also taking into consideration the ‘precautionary principle’ – ie better safe than sorry.
The World Health Organisation states that prevention (which is not the same as early detection) offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer. So why do we not see this reflected in our cancer plans and strategies? Why is primary prevention (stopping the disease before it starts) not equally addressed along with better treatment and care? Why are those with the power to influence decisions on breast cancer policy not acting on what we already know?
Write to your Breast Cancer Charity to ask them the big question. Please send us a copy of their response. See an example letter – this is suggested text only – please feel free to adapt and personalize.
Pinkwashing: pink drill bits being rolled out for breast cancer awareness month by Baker Hughes.
#PinkWashing is the act of appearing to support the fight against breast cancer by slapping a pink label on a product that most likely contains ingredients or elements linked to causing cancer. Many companies even raise the price of products or create a limited edition product to boost their profits, while only donating a meager portion of that profit to research treatments.
#RethinkThePink: stop buying products from companies that engage in pinkwashing as they stock your stores full of toxins – and profit off this deadly disease.
#ThinkBeforeYouPink: a campaign as a direct call to STOP THE DISTRACTION of pink ribbon marketing and culture.
JoinMamavation and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and The Breast Cancer Fund on Wednesday, Oct. 15th 6pm PST/9pm EST to learn more about pinkwashing, breast cancer prevention and how you can #RethinkthePink.
Sources and more information:
#RethinkthePink: Stop Companies Profiting Off Your Charity While Breast Cancer Still Kills, Mamavation, September 30, 2014.
