| The Breast Cancer Awareness month is just | | | | oppose this bill and other environmental health |
| about to roll around once more. Where has the | | | | legislation in California. 1 |
| year gone?! There will be coffee mornings, Girls | | | | Let's make it clear... |
| Night In, Fun Runs and a host of other events to | | | | They weren't required to remove the chemicals... |
| raise money for Breast Cancer Research. | | | | just notify the state and thus consumers, of their |
| Predictably there will be some major sponsors | | | | inclusion in the products people use on their bodies |
| among the skin care and cosmetics industry. | | | | every day! |
| Great news! | | | | I want to know that if there is the smallest |
| Bring it on. Except... | | | | amount of evidence regarding chemicals linked |
| While these companies adorn their products with | | | | breast cancer, why isn't the focus on eliminating |
| Pink Ribbons and many offer a percentage of | | | | these from daily life? There are more than 200 |
| profits to the cause, many of them also include | | | | chemicals that have shown to cause breast |
| chemicals in their products.There are several | | | | cancer in animals according to research from The |
| chemical ingredients that may be cause for | | | | Silent Spring Institute in May 2007. 2 |
| concern and quite a few that could be | | | | These chemicals include: - pesticides, industrial |
| contaminated with carcinogens during | | | | solvents, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic ingredients, |
| manufacture. Were you aware that some | | | | hormones and dyes. |
| chemicals in skin care products have shown to be | | | | It seems more influence is placed on detection |
| hazardous to laboratory animals? It seems that | | | | rather than prevention. If this disease is |
| the self-regulated cosmetic industry cares little | | | | preventable, surely that is where the focus should |
| about the results from research. | | | | be. At the turn of the century 1 in 20 women |
| In California, US, in 2005, Senator Carol Migden | | | | were diagnosed with breast cancer. Now that |
| sponsored a bill called the California Safe | | | | figure is more like 1 in 8. It can't be a coincidence |
| Cosmetics Act. This bill would mean cosmetic | | | | that the increasing number of chemicals we are |
| companies who used chemicals in their products | | | | exposed to is not linked to the increase in breast |
| that had been linked to cancer or birth defects | | | | cancer rates. These increases parallel the increase |
| were obliged to inform the state. | | | | in chemical manufacturing since WWII. They |
| The lobbyists for the cosmetic industry, led by | | | | accumulate in the body and can remain for years |
| the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association | | | | if not decades. |
| (CTFA) arrived on mass at the capitol. At | | | | This year, when all the hype abounds, take a |
| legislative hearings, companies including Johnson | | | | moment to reflect on the products you use and |
| & Johnson, Mary Kay, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder | | | | select for your family. Choose wisely and avoid |
| and Neutrogena testified against the bill. State | | | | chemical laden 'Pink Washed' products. |
| records show Proctor and Gamble - manufactures | | | | 1) "Lobbying Activity"(online) cal-access.ss.ca.gov |
| of Max Factor, Cover Girl and SK II - paid | | | | lobbying/ "bills/agencies lobbied" |
| lobbyists from Sacramento more than $250,000 | | | | 2) Cancer, 109 (S12): 2635-2666. |
| and the CTFA spent a half a million dollars to | | | | |