Pinkwashed alcohol products & promotions  exposed in new study
Channel: Alcohol Justice - The Industry Watchdog
Date: 2015-09-21

Red flags on pinkwashed drinks: New article & AJ brief 

Alcohol is a known & avoidable contributor to breast cancer  

Alcohol Justice spotlights problems & dangers of pinkwashing

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (September 14, 2015) – A new study in the October issue of Addiction documents alcohol products promoted with pink ribbons, partnerships with breast cancer charities, and general terms such as “breast cancer research” or “cure.” 

Hundreds of brands promote products with breast cancer awareness ribbons, and when companies that make products that contribute to cancer do so, it is called pinkwashing. Ironically, pinkwashed alcohol brands contribute to cancer risk in the name of research, treatment, and/or prevention. Pinkwashed drinks extend the potential to increase sales of a carcinogen by linking an iconic charitable cause and entire populations of women, including young women who may already drink at higher levels.

“Pinkwashed alcohol products and promotions under the breast cancer awareness credo devalue and undermine the vital work of cancer charities,” stated Sarah Mart, research director at Alcohol Justice and coauthor of the study. “As a public health standard, breast cancer awareness should be clearly separate from alcohol marketing.”

The evidence is clear: moderate and even low alcohol use is a leading risk factor for breast cancer, and 8% of breast cancer cases globally are attributable to alcohol.

Find the abstract for the article, Red flags on pinkwashed drinks: contradictions and dangers in marketing alcohol to prevent cancer at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.13035/abstract

Download the Alcohol Justice brief, Pinkwashed Drinks: Problems & Dangers at www.alcoholjustice.org