2 Useful Things To Do During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Tomorrow is the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). Before the tidal wave of pink starts crashing over your inbox and social media I wanted to remind you to be a conscientious BCAM supporter. There are some things to avoid and two really useful things you can do.

"The Coolest Breast Cancer Awareness Products". Really? Cool?

What to Avoid
I have had a slew of emails from PR companies asking me to promote various products that will make a small donation to Breast Cancer Research when you buy their pink-themed merchandise. Included in this list; shampoo and conditioners that include chemicals linked to breast cancer rates, alcohol and make up. The irony is far from funny. Another email opened with "The Coolest Breast Cancer Awareness Products". Really? Cool? I very rarely put a finite line in the sand but it is never OK to trivialize breast cancer with trite marketing drivel trying to make a quick buck off the back of a terrible disease.

If you buy a pink product in support of BCAM be sure to check how much of the proceeds go to Cancer Research, which organization it goes to and ask yourself whether this product is contributing to toxic chemicals in our consumer environment.

There are two effective things you can do this month (and any month for that matter) that will make a direct difference to fighting breast cancer. 

1) Make a donation DIRECTLY to Breast Cancer Research. If only 20 cents of the price of a pink product ends up going to Cancer Research then a donation of $1 directly to the researchers is five times more effective.

• Canada - Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
• US - American Cancer Society

2) Learn something about spotting the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. I know this can be a daunting task but knowledge is a really powerful tool. You can speak to your doctor about how to monitor your breast health or you can read our post with useful resources about breast health and monitoring.

I firmly believe that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an important endeavour that reminds us to be vigilant and knowledgeable about our breast health. We must remember that the goal is to eliminate this disease not to maximize the profit potential for retailers so please, think before you pink xx