BJDW: EP.48 Drink Pink? Unmasking the Dark Side of Big Alcohol’s Breast Cancer Campaigns
In this profoundly personal and enlightening episode, we welcome Sam, a former client of Christy, who shares her intimate journey with alcohol. Sam's story begins with her college years, where she transitioned from indifference to heavy drinking, trying to find her place in a new environment. Despite facing alcohol-related challenges, she managed to prioritize her studies and later ventured into the beverage marketing and business development sectors for Big Alcohol.
Sam's professional life took a turn when she was exposed to the "pinkwashing" phenomenon in the alcohol industry. During Breast Cancer Awareness month, many brands, including her former company, would promote "Drink Pink", "A cocktail for a cause", and other similar campaigns. Bars would donate a percentage of their proceeds to organizations like Susan G Komen or other cancer research entities. While seemingly noble, these campaigns masked the fact that alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for breast cancer.
Sam's personal connection to breast cancer, with her maternal grandmother and two aunts being survivors, made this revelation even more poignant. When she discussed the link between alcohol and breast cancer with her grandmother, an active volunteer with Susan G Komen, she was surprised. Her grandmother had no idea about the connection.
The episode sheds light on alarming statistics from Cancer Research UK, which states that around 1 in 10 breast cancer cases, or about 4,400 cases a year, are caused by alcohol.
Through Sam's story, we underscore the importance of empowering women to know the risks of regular drinking and shed light on another dishonest and infuriating marketing tactic by Big Alcohol.
