The sad incident has happened in Fukui, Japan. To protect breastfeeding in
Japan, please join us. And feel free to forward this message to your
friends.

"Fukui Newspaper July 2, 1998
On July 1, the 24th Fukui Prefectural Art Design Contest was held, and the
grand prise was awarded to Ms. Yagi, a female student.

There were 139 works on three different theme about environment issue,
Traffic manner, and home country Fukui. And more than half focused on
environmental issue on the earth.

A judge board is consisted of nine people whose head judge is Mr. Matsuyama.
The work awarded the grand prise, "Lots of Love, but Lots of Poison" was
highly evaluated, because of its sharp view pointing out the dioxin's bad
effect on body, depicting a mother who is breastfeeding a baby. The art
works will be shown at the Prefectural Art Museum from July 3 to 5."

The picture of the poster:
The sprinkle of pink heart is drawn on the mother's breast and passed to
the baby through breastfeeding and turned to accumulating black poison-like
substance in the baby's body.

The caption:
"Lots of Love, but Lots of Poison - Dioxin is a strong poison concentrating
from mother to baby through generations."

---------------------

Local people in Japan are protesting on the following grounds:

1) The description on the poster, "Lots of Love, but Lots of Poison - Dioxin
is a strong poison concentrating from mother to baby through generations."
is one-sided, too simplifying as well as inaccurate. Although breast milk
may contain dioxin-like  contaminants, the benefits of its nutrients and
immunity overweigh the risk.

2) Therefore, this poster may give a wrong impression about breastfeeding,
may provoke unnecessary anxiety and doubt about pregnancy, birth and child
rearing among the young who will have babies in the future and those who are
breastfeeding children. It also may make breastfed mothers feel guilt
because they seem to feed poison to their children.

3) It means that it is not only a deviation from the real theme of
environmental issue, but also may interfere the resolution of environmental
issues by making people's interest aim at the wrong direction, and making
the core issue vague.

We request that
1) you undo the grand prize award to "Lots of Love, Lots of Poison" and
start over the Contest.
2) you are not printing and showing the chosen work "Lots of Love, Lots of
Poison" as public posters.
3) you inform people through newspaper that your intention was not to
criticize or discourage breastfeeding.


July, 1998
***************
The local people organising the protest do not want their names and contact
details released publicly, for personal reasons. However, if you or your
group want to comment or join the protest, please send a message via the
person who posted this message. Alternatively, if you want to fax Fukui
Newspaper directly, please fax at +81-776-25-8198  or +81-776-25-8193.







"Lactancia Materna- La Mejor Inversión" 
Semana Mundial de Lactancia, 1 - 7 de agosto de 1998
Judy Canahuati
PO Box #512
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Teléfono: +504-550-9737
Fax: +504-550-7482
E-mail: [log in to unmask]