Are Companies Cashing In On Breast Cancer?

Last week the New York Attorney General filed suit against a group called the Coalition Against Breast Cancer, branding it a “sham charity.” It's a more extreme example of a corporate trend researchers call “pinkwashing.”

According to Amy Lubitow, Portland State University (Oregon), and Mia Davis, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, “pinkwashing” describes the practice of companies adopting pink colors and ribbons to imply they support breast cancer research, while at the same time permitting the use of chemicals shown to cause cancer.

The concern is not exactly new, but the rhetoric is sharpening. In very strong words, Lubitow and Davis accuse such companies of “committing a form of social injustice against women.” The two have co-authored an article on “pinkwashing” in the journal Environmental Justice.

The authors say that aligning oneself with a cause such as breast cancer, while carrying out research, manufacturing, or other types of policies or processes that involve the use of chemicals with a proven link to cancer crosses a critical line between just and unjust practices.

Pure profit motive?

They accuse companies that “pinkwash” with being motivated solely by the profit motive. These companies, they say, link themselves to the cause to increase profits but are taking actions and pursing policies that might contribute to higher cancer rates.

Last year, the company marketing an alcoholic lemonade product came in for some criticism for its campaign to “pink your drink,” a way the marketers said people could promote breast cancer year round.

Breast cancer awareness and breast cancer research have become enormously popular causes in recent years, with hundreds of businesses and organizations joining the effort to fight the disease. October, the official breast cancer awareness month, is usually marked by a sea of pink, as these organizations, most of whom sincerely and wholeheartedly support the effort, show pink.

Real men wear pink

For example, the National Football League observes the month by having players wear pink accessories, like gloves and shoes, along with their normal team colors. These efforts have won praise for raising the profile of breast cancer awareness, though some in the movement wondered aloud last year if they weren't getting just a bit over-exposed.

Those in the movement are also concerned about the trend Lubitow and Davis highlight in their article, claiming too many companies are simply trying to cash in on the good feelings.

"The authors of this article draw needed attention to the dangerous use of consumers' social and sometimes environmental consciousness by institutions who contribute to environmental health disparities,”said Sylvia Hood Washington, PhD, ND, MSE, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Justice, and Research Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. “The blind financial support of these entities, by affected consumers, is a form of environmental injustice that is clearly elucidated by the authors.'

In other words, breast cancer awareness groups would like consumers to think carefully about the product they buy, and not choose it just because it has a pink label.