Breast Cancer Action Montreal

1. Breast Cancer Action Montreal

2. PowerPoint Content by Madeleine Bird PowerPoint design by Rhoda Lim

3. Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre Centre de prévention du cancer Stroll

4. Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre Contact Information • Jewish General Hospital • 3755 Côte-Ste-Catherine • Room E-740 • Phone: 514.340.8222 ext. 3872 • Fax: 514.340.8600 • Email: • cancerprevention@jgh.mcgill.ca • Web: • http://jgh.ca/en/CancerPreventionCentre • http://www.cancerprev.mcgill.ca/ • http://www.mcgill.ca/cancerprev/

5. Stroll Cancer Prevention Centre Services Some services require advanced registration or a referral Call: 514-340-8222 ext. 3872 • Smoking cessation program • Post-polypectomy nutrition clinic • Hereditary gastrointestinal cancer clinic • Hereditary gynecologic cancer surveillance clinic • Public lectures • Information and resource centre

6. Interactive Cancer Risk Assessment Tool www.cancerprev.mcgill.ca

7. Interactive Cancer Risk Assessment Tool www.cancerprev.mcgill.ca

8. Interactive Cancer Risk Assessment Tool www.cancerprev.mcgill.ca

9. Interactive Cancer Risk Assessment Tool www.cancerprev.mcgill.ca

10. Interactive Cancer Risk Assessment Tool www.cancerprev.mcgill.ca

11. Breast Cancer Action Montreal Breast Cancer Action Montreal’s Prevention in Action & Safe Cosmetics Campaign Developed by the Health and Environmental Awareness Project

12. Why Cosmetics? Unknown problem Women are primary consumers, with men’s use increasing Exposure in utero Weak regulations Opportunities for action Top image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: birdonarock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

13. Cancer Concern Increase in breast cancer Lack in primary prevention Growing evidence Many unknowns

14. Daily Exposure Daily exposure to about 126 chemicals Heavy exposure before age 20 = risk Bouchez, Colette, November 6, 2006, “Common Chemicals: Breast Cancer Link? WebMD

15. Polluted Bodies Biomonitoring Testing for toxic chemicals Effects unknown

16. Long-Term Concern Short-term use = no harm (?) Is long-term, low-dose use dangerous? Most ingredients are untested Better safe than sorry The precautionary principle expresses the idea that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

17. Beware Formaldehyde Phthalates Propylene Glycol P H H T A L A T E S Top image: J. Frasse / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

18. Cosmetic Regulations Health Canada Food and Drug Act Cosmetic Regulations No therapeutic claims

19. Ingredient Labeling Came into effect November 16, 2006 INCI labeling Limitations

20. The ‘Hotlist’ Restricted or prohibited cosmetic ingredients Google: “Cosmetic Hotlist Health Canada” All INCI names are not included Inadequacies Dioxane (1,4 dioxane) Lead and its compounds Placental extracts […] Top image: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php Bottom image: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index-eng.php

21. Safety Review? No evidence of safety Canada relies on USA Only 13% of 10, 500 cosmetic ingredients have been tested Major safety gaps

22. The “Cosmetic-Like” Drug Therapeutic claims Mistaken for cosmetics May contain hotlisted ingredients Drug Identification Number (DIN) Weak labeling Bottom image of foam: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image of pills: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

23. A Side Note About Those Killer Tans Rates of skin cancer diagnosis are on the rise The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Important study: risk of melanoma increases by 75% when tanning beds and sun lamps are used before the age of 30 years. Top image: M. Bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

24. Tanning Beds: “Carcinogenic to Humans” In June 2009, the IARC announced that tanning beds have been reclassified from “probably carcinogenic to humans” to “carcinogenic to humans” Young women most vulnerable 3rd most common form of skin cancer in young Canadian women Major health organizations advise against the use of tanning beds by minors Top image: Salvatore Vuono and Luigi Diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: FreeDiigitalPhotos.net Admin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

25. If You Really, Really, Really must have that tan… Consider sunless tanning lotions But before you buy, check out www.cosmeticsdatabase.com first Many different brands are rated as high hazard cosmetic products. Tanning lotions will not protect you from harmful UV radiation Top image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image of unbrella: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image of sunglasses: / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Admin

26. Men’s Body Care Products • Some of the chemicals that can be found in some deodorants: • Fragrance • Propylene glycol • Triclosan • Some of the chemicals that can be found in some shaving creams: • Fragrance • Treithanolamine (TEA) • Propane • Some of the chemicals that can be found in some men’s colognes: • Fragrance • Bytulated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) • Oxybenzone (Benzepenone) • Some of the chemicals that can be found in some aftershave products: • Fragrance • Propylene glycol • Oxybenzone (Benzepenone) Top image: DjCodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Ian Kahn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

27. Information is Empowering! Solutions for today and tomorrow Top image: DjCodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

28. Solutions Expensive is not always better Check the ingredients Watch for DINs Follow instructions carefully Limit use Demand warning labels, information Use skin deep database www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

29. The Ingredient Decoder Search for products or ingredients Find out what products to avoid Skin Deep: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com Guide to less toxic products: www.lesstoxicguide.ca

30. Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Website www.cosmeticsdatabase.com 3 members of the audience to volunteer for exercise

31. BCAM’s Safe Cosmetics Campaign Raising awareness: How? Demonstrations, media coverage Presentations in the community Booklet produced by the Health and Environmental Awareness Project

32. What Do We Want? Shift burden of proof Provide missing information Use warning labels Help the consumer to live in a safer environment Bottom image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

33. Press for Change! Write or call Health Canada Write or call the manufacturer of cosmetics that concern you Speak to your local retailer Top image: DjCodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Michal Marcol and Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

34. Overview Exposure to toxic chemicals Gaps in regulatory process Inadequate labeling laws Lax safety standards Top image: M. Bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Bottom image: Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

35. We will now start our brief Q & A period ?