Stop Cancer Where It Starts
The Issue:
There are over 8.9 million people living with cancer in the United States. One in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. Despite years of research, there is still a lot we don’t know about what is causing cancer. Hereditary factors only explain a small fraction of cancer cases. There is, however, growing evidence that various environmental toxins are contributing to our high rates of cancer and other diseases. While more research in the area of environmental links to health is needed (see Health-Track for one proposal to do this research), there is also enough evidence now to encourage us to decrease the use and production of environmental pollutants in an effort to stop the increasing rates of cancer.
The Idea:
To educate the public and local governments about environmental links to cancer and to adopt locally based legislation that reduces exposure to known and suspected toxins.
How It Began:
A coalition of health and environmental groups called The Toxic Links Coalition (TLC) , of which Breast Cancer Action (BCA) was a member, discovered that the city of Berkeley was issuing a proclamation declaring October “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Frustrated by the fact that most breast cancer “awareness” campaigns do nothing more than encourage women to get their mammograms and virtually exclude all talk of preventing the disease, the Toxic Links Coalition decided to create its own proclamation. TLC’s document would be more than just a ceremonial proclamation—it would be a city resolution that included concrete steps that the city would take to limit toxins in the environment.
From Idea to Resolution:
Breast Cancer Action and other TLC members defined some actions we hoped that the city of Berkeley would adopt—things like establishing a “Healthy Building Ordinance” and eliminating the use of PVC plastic in new construction. We approached Berkeley City Council Members to sponsor the resolution and to advise us on what the city could and could not realistically do. Working together, a ”Resolution for the City of Berkeley Establishing October as ‘Stop Cancer Where it Starts’ Month” was created and unanimously adopted by the Berkeley City Council on October 10, 2000. Read the articles covering this campaign in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Daily Californian (UC Berkeley campus paper).
Taking it a Step Further:
The relative ease with which the resolution was passed, and its value as an educational and organizing tool, prompts us to try to copy our success in other cities. Resolutions and proclamations have already been passed in San Francisco, Oakland and Marin County. Sample resolutions and press releases exist, as well as a step-by-step guide [PDF] 
on how to replicate the campaign in your area.
How You Can Help:
Help us Stop Cancer Where It Starts! Contact Pauli Ojea at pojea@bcaction.org, or 415.243.9301 ext.11
- Get more information about how to pass a resolution in your area
- Inform others about the campaign through your website, newsletter, or listserv
- Help us make connections to other activists, groups or legislators who may be good allies
BCA Runs Ad in New York Times
On October 25th, 2000, we ran a full page ad in the New York Times West Coast Edition reminding readers that “We're already aware. It's time to act.” and urging them to participate in our ”Stop Cancer Where It Starts” Campaign.
View the ad. [PDF]
See the list of organizations (with links to their websites) that endorsed the New York Times ad.
State of the Evidence Report
State of the Evidence: What is the Connection Between the Environment and Breast Cancer?
Chemicals Policy Reform
Article on Biomonitoring