Pinkwashing Reaches New Low with Toxic Perfume that Can Cause Breast Cancer

October is breast cancer awareness month. It was created to help fund the burgeoning breast cancer industry. To achieve their ends of putting more and more money into the pockets of Big Pharma and people at the top of pseudo-charity corporations, there are no limits.

Now, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the pinkwashing champs, have sunk to a new low with their Promise Me perfume. It contains toxic chemicals, including:

• Galaxolide, a hormone disruptor.
• Toluene, a neurotoxin.
• Oxybenzone, estrogen mimicker.

Toluene is banned by the International Fragrance Association. Any hormone disruptor has the potential of causing disease. Estrogen mimickers are implicated in causing breast cancer!

Following is a brief video that tells a little about the perfume:

The Komen people have stated that claims of cancer-inducing chemicals in Promise Me perfume are false. However, the bad publicity is resulting in its reformulation. Apparently, though, it doesn’t seem to concern them enough to stop selling existing stocks.

Fundraising Powerhouse with Big Salaries

Susan G. Komen is a fundraising powerhouse. So where does the money go? Their 2010 consolidated financial statement lists:

• Cash and investments of $366,881,000.
• Research expenditure of $75,407,000 (most of which supports research by or for Big Pharma).
• Education expenses of $140,773,000 (most of which is aimed at getting women into the medical cancer industry as early as possible).
• $46,861,000 on breast cancer screening, which brings women into the cancer industry as early as possible.

In 2009-2010, they reported the following salaries:

• Hala Moddelmog, Chief Executive Officer & President—$456,437
• Annetta Hewko, VP, Global Strategies & Programs—$343,013
• Kimberly Earle, Chief Operations Officer & Secretary—$327,754
• Marianne Alciati, VP, Research & Scientific Affairs—$240,248
• Justin Ricketts, Chief Information Officer—$219,711
• Mark Nadolney, Chief Financial Officer—$205,174
• Susan Carter-Johns, VP, Strategic Relations—$202,273
• Jonathan Blum, General Counsel & Secretary—$200,797
• Eric Winer, Chief Scientific Advisor—$190,548
• Wendeline Jongenburger, VP, Affiliate Relations—$182,734
• Diana Rowden, VP, Survivorship & Outcomes—$179,951
• Katrina McGheeGlobal Business Division—$178,507
• Pamela Stevens, Director, DC Communications—$178,106
• Elizabeth Thompson, Medical & Scientific Affairs—$169,706
• Emily Callahan, Global Marketing & Network—$167,814
• David Dawson, Director, Solution Delivery—$154,972
• Nancy MacGregor, VP, Global Networks—$138,750

Think of all the people just scraping by who have been making donations to the Susan G. Komen Foundation or buying from their company in the hope that they’re doing something good. Think of yourself and compare your income with this list. And then think of how they beg for money from you.

Breast Cancer Is Rampant

For all the money pouring into Susan G. Komen and others also out there begging, breast cancer is becoming more and more common, while survival rates aren’t going down—unless you include the extra years of life accounted for by earlier detection. Obviously, something is awry with their focus.

Their corporate partners include Merck pharmaceuticals, General Mills, whose products can only fuel cancer, and a host of major corporations—all going along for the publicity it brings them.

Susan G. Komen’s research focuses almost exclusively on bringing women into treatment as early as possible and finding more drugs that Big Pharma can profit from. This is a money maker for all of them. Why would they want to cure breast cancer? It would be like killing the goose that lays golden eggs.

Tagged big pharma, breast cancer, pharmaceutical drugs, pharmaceuticals, pink washing, pinkwashing, susan g. komen pinkwashing