<p>To the Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection:</p><p>I am writing to you to draw your attention to a deplorable business practice that goes unchecked each October: the exploitation of pink ribbon themed merchandise all for the sake of raising "awareness" for breast cancer.</p><p>We are long past the need for awareness alone. What we really need is action to end this devastating disease forever, and that can't be done without proper funding of the groups on breast cancer's frontlines.</p><p>This is why I am writing to request the FTC enact strict guidelines which prevent companies from using the pink ribbon as a marketing strategy to sell more merchandise. As regulations currently stand, any company can use it for whatever they wish. This means every October, countless companies use "breast cancer awareness" as a marketing ploy to sell pink products. Some companies will make a flat donation regardless of how much or little the product sells. Others will donate a portion of the proceeds of pink ribbon merchandise sales up to a certain dollar amount while keeping the public in the dark about the overall progress towards that goal. Some companies splash pink and the pink ribbon on products and then donate nothing at all.</p><p>Many consumers believe they are supporting breast cancer charities why they buy pink products. Oftentimes, however, this is not the case. Selling pink ribbon merchandise solely to "raise awareness" should not be acceptable business practice.</p><p>Please create regulations that require pink ribbon-themed merchandise to give a portion of their proceeds of each themed item to a nonprofit organization that either supports cancer fighters, survivors, and their families, or goes directly to funding research to beat breast cancer once and for all.</p><p>Thank you,</p>