‘Detox the Box’ Music Video Takes on Toxic Chemicals in Pads, Tampons
Spoof of SNL sketch aimed at mobilizing women to pressure secretive feminine products industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2014
MISSOULA, Mont.— Toxic chemicals in feminine products don’t stand a chance against 90s dance moves, creative costuming, and thousands of women demanding their right to know what’s in the products that touch some of the most absorptive skin on their bodies, according to a national nonprofit dedicated to eliminating chemicals that harm women’s health.
Fed up with industry silence on secret toxic chemicals in tampons and pads, Women’s Voices for the Earth is escalating pressure on two top brands in the multi-billion dollar feminine care industry with a hilarious new spoof video titled “Detox the Box.” The short video will be released Thursday, May 22, and is a new take on Justin Timberlake’s wildly popular Saturday Night Live skit “Dick in a Box.”
“Women’s health is at risk when companies continue to make products for our most sensitive areas that contain carcinogens, hormone disruptors, allergens, and more,” said Erin Switalski, Executive Director at Women’s Voices for the Earth. “If enough women spread the Detox the Box message, the industry will have to pay attention.”
According to WVE’s groundbreaking “Chem Fatale” report released last fall, tampons and pads are used by up to 85 percent of menstruating women and may contain dioxins, furans, and pesticide residues, which have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and hormone disruption, and allergens and irritants from fragrance.
Because pads and tampons are regulated by the FDA as “medical devices” and not “personal care products,” companies aren’t required by law to disclose any of the ingredients used in these products, meaning that women don’t have the information they need to make safe choices to protect their health.
“Our research shows Procter & Gamble uses carcinogens likestyrene, pyridine and methyleugenol in its products, as well as endocrine disruptors like synthetic musks,“ Switalksi said. “In the absence ingredient disclosure, women have no way of knowing whether Tampax and Always, which women may use for several days each month on extremely sensitive skin, contain these toxic chemicals.”
“This video is not only a hilarious way to talk about an uncomfortable subject,” said Cassidy Randall, Director of Outreach and Engagement at Women’s Voices for the Earth and producer of the film. “It sends a hard-hitting message to the biggest consumer product company on the planet that women will no longer stand for secret toxic chemicals in products we use on some of the most absorptive skin on our bodies.”
Special thanks to Detox the Box film directors Gita Saedi Kiely of West of Kin Productions, Katy-Robin Garton of Sprout Films.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Cassidy Randall, cassidyr@womensvoices.org, (406) 543-3747, office
Caitlin Copple, caitlin.j.copple@gmail.com, (406) 493-4281, mobile
Founded in 1995, Women’s Voices for the Earth amplifies women’s voices to eliminate the toxic chemicals that harm our health and communities. With thousands of members across the United States, WVE changes corporate practices, holds government accountable, and works to ensure a toxic-free future for all. Learn more at www.womensvoices.org
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