11 October 2004
Think before you pink!

How much do ‘pink ribbon products’ really help prevent breast cancer? asks a new Think Before You Pink campaign launched today.

Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) has teamed up with the public service union, UNISON to encourage people to ask questions about the products and where the money goes before they part with their cash. The campaign is mainly targeting cosmetics companies that support Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) because some common cosmetics ingredients may increase the risk of getting breast cancer.

A campaign leaflet says: “There is nothing wrong with companies raising money for the cause. It makes us feel good to donate – and it makes companies look good to potential customers and it increases their sales. But we are concerned that some companies claiming to support the ‘fight’ against breast cancer may be using or producing toxic chemicals that may increase a person’s risk of developing the disease.” ¹

There are also concerns that so little of the money invested in breast cancer research is spent on primary prevention of the disease and helping reduce people’s exposure to toxic chemicals and pollutants that have been linked to the rising breast cancer epidemic ².

“We are in danger of becoming a society where each woman is forced to accept the 'inevitability' of breast cancer at some time in their lives, this is not good enough, we want a precautionary approach to suspected chemicals and more funding to focus on primary prevention of breast cancer” says Jill Day from Unison East Midlands.

Helen Lynn, WEN’s Health Co-ordinator asks: “How do we know these ingredients are safe? Lack of evidence does not mean no evidence. How can the cosmetics industry vouch for safety when recent EU cosmetics legislation agreed removal of certain substances used in cosmetics by the industry for years, due to links with health ill effects. Scientific ignorance is no excuse for lack of action on what we already know. We need to start asking where our cash is going.” ³

Postcards to send to the chief executives of cosmetics companies are available from WEN and Unison East Midlands region. An electronic version to download and print out is at www.wen.org.uk.

They call on the companies to:
· remove from products ingredients that may be linked to breast cancer
· reformulate products worldwide to make sure they don’t contain suspect chemicals
· reveal how much their pink ribbon products raise and where the money goes and
· disclose all ingredients so consumers can make an informed choice.

Breast Cancer Action in the US developed the ‘think before you pink’ message in response to the apparent contradiction of companies raising money to fight a disease that their products or activities may actually be contributing to.

www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Helen Lynn, WEN Health Co-ordinator 020 7481 9004, Fax: 020 7481 9144, Email: health@wen.org.uk

Jill Day, East Midlands Regional Women’s Officer 0115 847 5444, Email: j.day@unison.co.uk

Notes to editors

1. Facial moisturiser, nail varnish, bubble bath, and lip-gloss can contain ingredients which may trigger allergic reactions, or are skin and eye irritants, may affect the immune or nervous systems, impair fertility, and are linked to cancer. Parabens are preservatives commonly used in cosmetics and toiletries, are endocrine disrupters that mimic the hormone oestrogen. High lifetime exposure to oestrogen is a proven risk factor for breast cancer. Phthalates help lotions penetrate the skin, make nail polishes more flexible and are used as carriers in perfumes and fragranced products. Some are endocrine disruptors, raising concerns about their possible links to breast cancer (other links to birth defects, developmental defects, premature breast development in young girls and male reproductive damage also exist). They are not listed on the labels but can be in ingredients listed as Parfum or Alcohol denat. See WEN’s phthalates report for more information.

2. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, with more than 40,000 cases diagnosed each year (Source: Cancer Research UK).

3. Phthalates are a group of chemicals suspected of causing cancer, kidney damage and disruption of the body’s hormone system and also have been linked to asthma and allergies. Earlier this month 6 phthalates, including DEHP and DBP, were banned for use in chew toys for children under three because of concern about health effects, they will also be targeted for phase out for use in cosmetics by March 2005.

· Incidence rates for breast cancer in women have been increasing every year for the last 50 years (The State of the Evidence published by the Breast Cancer Fund and breast Cancer Action, San Francisco, California, 2002.)
· A woman’s lifetime risk has risen from 1 in 12 to 1 in 9 from 1995 to 2001. (CRUK).
· A National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) analysis of funding for research into all cancers in the UK showed only 2% was spent on ‘prevention’ while ‘primary prevention’ – stopping cancer before its starts – wasn’t even covered in the official definition of prevention. (NCRI Strategic Analysis 2002)