Ah. It’s that time of year again. October: where all the world looks as if through rose-colored glasses. Everywhere you look, pink and pink ribbons will abound because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
These days it seems as though nothing is immune from the pink; even the NFL gets in on it, with pink armbands, pink socks, and pink cleats. There are pink ribbon yogurt tops, pink ribbon perfume, pink ribbon cosmetics, pink ribbon umbrellas, etc. I once even saw PINK EYELASHES FOR YOUR CAR, during Breast Cancer Awareness month. But here’s the thing: any company can slap a pink ribbon on something and call it “awareness,” even items that may directly be contributing to breast cancer.
The breast cancer awareness movement launched almost 30 years ago and yet, breast cancer remains a public health crisis and social justice issue. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and second leading cause of cancer death in women. However, what is less known is how we can decrease our personal risk of developing cancer or public policies to educate the population on breast cancer. But you can be sure that as soon as October comes around, the pink ribbons will all come out and will tap into that part of our minds that wants to do something, anything, to make a difference in this on-going fight… even if it’s just buying a pink Swiffer sweeper.
When I was in graduate school, I worked in a cancer research lab as a tech. Basically, I was in charge of making sure that all of the post-docs had everything they needed to conduct their research. One of the things that I learned while working in the lab is that there is a class of tumors that are called “estrogen-dependent,” meaning that they require the presence of estrogen (or estrogen-mimicking chemicals) to grow and thrive. These chemicals are found in our daily lives and are present in common contraceptives, especially combined hormonal birth control (i.e. the pill, the patch and the ring.)
Some of the most prevalent products that you see bearing the “Breast Cancer Awareness” ribbon are the very products that can contribute to breast cancer due to the inclusion of phthalates and parabens. These chemicals are used in cosmetics as preservatives or because of colorfast properties and can adversely affect the natural estrogens that occur in our bodies. Obesity has been linked to breast cancer in post-menopausal women, but you’ll still find the pink ribbon on items from candy bars to potato chips to buckets of chicken. Excess alcohol consumption has also been correlated to increased risk of developing breast cancer, and yet, you can help support the cause by buying pink ribbon bottles of wine and spirits.
The term “Pinkwashing” was coined to describe companies that claim to care about breast cancer by selling pink ribbon products, while at the same time selling or producing items that are linked to the disease. For example, a few years back, the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation marketed a new perfume, the proceeds of which would go back to the organization for breast cancer awareness. The ironic thing is that the perfume contained compounds that were known to increase breast cancer risk.
How can you think before you pink? Before you buy a product that has a pink ribbon on it, ask yourself a few questions:
- How much money from your purchase goes toward breast cancer research?
- What organization is getting the funds?
- Is there a cap to their donation or has their maximum donation been reached?
- Does the purchase of the product put you or someone you love at risk for toxic exposure to potential carcinogens?
If the answers to these questions make you uneasy or are unclear, consider steering away from the pink item (and the warm and fuzzies that you may feel after buying a “supporting product”) and consider donating directly to breast cancer research, such as the Breast Cancer Research Foundation or to organizations like the Cancer Support Community (formerly known as Gilda’s Club.)
Breast Cancer is a disease that affects all of us, it’s not a marketing opportunity. As far as that pink Swiffer I mentioned earlier? Only about 2 cents of your purchase went to breast cancer research… and only if you had the right coupon.
Image Source: Unsplash Photo by Jessica Weiller
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