Côte D'Ivoire bans skin-whitening creams
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En-Fuego22 wrote: »I'm all about freedom and control over one's body and appearance, even if I do think it's cooning. If a person wants to look like a ? ghoul let them..they should have a right to make their own choice.
IF you want to argue they didnt make the choice but rather society chose for them them that means half the products available to women in stores should be banned also.
You can not beat white supremacy by banning products. YOu beat white supremacy when the products are available but nobody wants them because they feel comfortable in their own skin - literally.
It's illegal to use drugs in the USA. .so do you feel that way about drugs?
Yes. People should have a right to do as they please with their body once they are of age to do so far as I'm concerned. This includes drug use (yes ALL drugs).
Not when it starts interfering with other people and causing the government to spend extra money -
Who is it interfering with? Family members? That's not the government's problem.En-Fuego22 wrote: »I'm all about freedom and control over one's body and appearance, even if I do think it's cooning. If a person wants to look like a ? ghoul let them..they should have a right to make their own choice.
IF you want to argue they didnt make the choice but rather society chose for them them that means half the products available to women in stores should be banned also.
You can not beat white supremacy by banning products. YOu beat white supremacy when the products are available but nobody wants them because they feel comfortable in their own skin - literally.
It's illegal to use drugs in the USA. .so do you feel that way about drugs?
Yes. People should have a right to do as they please with their body once they are of age to do so far as I'm concerned. This includes drug use (yes ALL drugs).
Not when it starts interfering with other people and causing the government to spend extra money
Government spend money on capturing and punishing drug abusers and drug dealers. Make it legal, end the drug war and that solves the problem. The vast majority of those who do drugs DO NOT ever form an addiction to the drug.
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Who is it interfering with? Family members? That's not the government's problem.En-Fuego22 wrote: »I'm all about freedom and control over one's body and appearance, even if I do think it's cooning. If a person wants to look like a ? ghoul let them..they should have a right to make their own choice.
IF you want to argue they didnt make the choice but rather society chose for them them that means half the products available to women in stores should be banned also.
You can not beat white supremacy by banning products. YOu beat white supremacy when the products are available but nobody wants them because they feel comfortable in their own skin - literally.
It's illegal to use drugs in the USA. .so do you feel that way about drugs?
Yes. People should have a right to do as they please with their body once they are of age to do so far as I'm concerned. This includes drug use (yes ALL drugs).
Not when it starts interfering with other people and causing the government to spend extra money
Government spend money on capturing and punishing drug abusers and drug dealers. Make it legal, end the drug war and that solves the problem. The vast majority of those who do drugs DO NOT ever form an addiction to the drug.
Well it costs the government money in emergency room visits so i can see that argument but at the same time I don't think prohibition is the right course of action (unless of course you use prohibition as an excuse to arbitrarily enforce drug laws against certain groups of people in which case it's a brilliant ruse and the perfect course of action if you seek to criminalize particular groups more than others) -
Who is it interfering with? Family members? That's not the government's problem.En-Fuego22 wrote: »I'm all about freedom and control over one's body and appearance, even if I do think it's cooning. If a person wants to look like a ? ghoul let them..they should have a right to make their own choice.
IF you want to argue they didnt make the choice but rather society chose for them them that means half the products available to women in stores should be banned also.
You can not beat white supremacy by banning products. YOu beat white supremacy when the products are available but nobody wants them because they feel comfortable in their own skin - literally.
It's illegal to use drugs in the USA. .so do you feel that way about drugs?
Yes. People should have a right to do as they please with their body once they are of age to do so far as I'm concerned. This includes drug use (yes ALL drugs).
Not when it starts interfering with other people and causing the government to spend extra money
Government spend money on capturing and punishing drug abusers and drug dealers. Make it legal, end the drug war and that solves the problem. The vast majority of those who do drugs DO NOT ever form an addiction to the drug.
Well it costs the government money in emergency room visits so i can see that argument but at the same time I don't think prohibition is the right course of action (unless of course you use prohibition as an excuse to arbitrarily enforce drug laws against certain groups of people in which case it's a brilliant ruse and the perfect course of action if you seek to criminalize particular groups more than others)
Freedom has it's price.
I'd be interested in seeing the Emergency Room costs vs. the "Jailing the Drug Offender" burden on tax payers. Im willing to bet we'd all welcome those emergency room visits. -
I lean libertarian so I am all for maximizing liberty and freedom but the purpose of your freedom is to create a net benefit for society. This creates a negative and should be stopped.
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Who is it interfering with? Family members? That's not the government's problem.En-Fuego22 wrote: »I'm all about freedom and control over one's body and appearance, even if I do think it's cooning. If a person wants to look like a ? ghoul let them..they should have a right to make their own choice.
IF you want to argue they didnt make the choice but rather society chose for them them that means half the products available to women in stores should be banned also.
You can not beat white supremacy by banning products. YOu beat white supremacy when the products are available but nobody wants them because they feel comfortable in their own skin - literally.
It's illegal to use drugs in the USA. .so do you feel that way about drugs?
Yes. People should have a right to do as they please with their body once they are of age to do so far as I'm concerned. This includes drug use (yes ALL drugs).
Not when it starts interfering with other people and causing the government to spend extra money
Government spend money on capturing and punishing drug abusers and drug dealers. Make it legal, end the drug war and that solves the problem. The vast majority of those who do drugs DO NOT ever form an addiction to the drug.
You're dense if you dont think ? heads, ? heads and heroin addicts dont affect anyone but themselves -
Embrace your black skin ladies and gents.
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Black people tryna lighten their skin…white people tryna tan their skin…world all ? up.
thats capitalism for you they have a product for everybody. -
The often parroted talk of "grown folks can do what they want" is just talk. Those same grown folks will wind up influencing young minds and even worse apply the poison to infants. Good move on their governments part.
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Whoever says the Government is wrong here, using the argument that "people have to decide what they want to do with their bodies', is an utter simpleton.
If there are proven risks in the usage of any commodity, that item now poses a public risk. If a Government's first task is to serve it's people, then they're well within their rights to ban the item.
Not even a moral debate here. -
Whoever says the Government is wrong here, using the argument that "people have to decide what they want to do with their bodies', is an utter simpleton.
If there are proven risks in the usage of any commodity, that item now poses a public risk. If a Government's first task is to serve it's people, then they're well within their rights to ban the item.
Not even a moral debate here.
I don't care about autonomy for it's own sake but I think there should be a debate because banning something doesn't just mean 'you're not allowed to use it'. Banning something doesn't just mean it will be confiscated if they find it on you, I'm assuming it means that people will go to jail if they sell or use it and most third world prisons are far worse than Western prisons. In my opinion, sometimes what government coercion accomplishes is worth the cost and sometimes it isn't. -
Whoever says the Government is wrong here, using the argument that "people have to decide what they want to do with their bodies', is an utter simpleton.
If there are proven risks in the usage of any commodity, that item now poses a public risk. If a Government's first task is to serve it's people, then they're well within their rights to ban the item.
Not even a moral debate here.
I don't care about autonomy for it's own sake but I think there should be a debate because banning something doesn't just mean 'you're not allowed to use it'. Banning something doesn't just mean it will be confiscated if they find it on you, I'm assuming it means that people will go to jail if they sell or use it and most third world prisons are far worse than Western prisons. In my opinion, sometimes what government coercion accomplishes is worth the cost and sometimes it isn't.
As a Government body, one of the primary reasons by which you survive is on the health and well-being of your citizens. The creams have proven to be very harmful to the population, and so an action like this is warranted.
Sometimes you have to institute something by force to induce positive change, if previous education efforts have failed. Africans are notoriously stubborn anyway.
Exhibit A: I'm still arguing. -
Ajackson17 wrote: »Good ? this is getting done. We need all of that ? burned to the ground. Appreciate the dark matter known as melanin inside you.
a ? is gonna ? u cant force that ? I say ? em -
Ajackson17 wrote: »Good ? this is getting done. We need all of that ? burned to the ground. Appreciate the dark matter known as melanin inside you.
a ? is gonna ? u cant force that ? I say ? em
this.....you cant force anyone to love themselves for who they are word to all the weave, fake eye lash, over done makeup, colored contact wearing gals out there. Let them do them. For all we know that might increase their self esteem to the point where they actually are somewhat more happier, successful in their lives. -
Chasing fair skin, Ivorians ignore whitening cream ban
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Abidjan (AFP) - At just 26, Fatou's skin is marbled from layer on layer of whitening cream. Some even call her a "salamander" woman after the little reptile with light spots and translucent skin.
But nothing can stop the hairdresser in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan from using the skin-lightening cream in her quest for a paler complexion.
"I love light skin," Fatou said. "I can't stop."
Many Ivorian women -- as well as more and more men -- are using creams with dangerous chemicals for depigmentation, despite government attempts to stop the practice.
In late April, Ivory Coast banned whitening creams because of the negative health effects associated with them, ranging from white spots and acne to cancer.
If applied liberally, the cosmetics can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes, according to Professor Elidje Ekra, a dermatologist at Abidjan's Treichville university hospital.
The banned products include creams containing mercury, certain steroids, vitamin A, or with hydroquinone levels above two percent.
The dangers don't seem to deter consumers, though.
- 'Women who shine in the night' -
While no official statistics are available, "tchatchos" -- or those with lightened skin, often recognisable by their darker knuckles and elbows -- are omnipresent in Abidjan.
Businesses continue to sell the whitening products, because they know people will continue to buy them despite the risks.
"We know that our lightening products are dangerous," an executive for an Ivorian cosmetic company said, adding that a ban would be counterproductive.
"At least we know the composition."
Some women say that it's societal pressure -- particularly from men -- that forces them to lighten their skin.
"It's men that push women to become lighter," said Marie-Grace Amani, who has been whitening her skin for the past four years.
Ivory Coast's Health Minister Raymonde Goudou Coffie agrees.
Ivorian men "love women who shine in the night", she told AFP.
View galleryA woman, who uses skin whitening cosmetics, poses poses …
A woman, who uses skin whitening cosmetics, poses poses for a photo in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (AFP Pho …
"They bring light and glow in the bedroom."
- Measure still an 'empty shell' -
Three months after the new law was introduced -- which could entail a fine of 50,000 to 350,000 CFA francs (76 to 534 euros / US$83 to $585) for violators -- salons are still advertising their lightening products.
Whitening soaps with names like "Glow and White" and "Body White" leave little doubt as to their intended use.
"After raising awareness, we will move to the next phase of removing products from the market," Coffie said.
A national evaluation and marketing authorisation committee has been set up to ensure implementation of the measures, but one of the biggest fights could be against cultural beauty standards.
Lightened faces continue to proliferate on billboards in Abidjan, with the featured models flaunting fair skin.
Ekra says that while it's a great initiative, the text is still an "empty shell".
"We see women on national television who use the corrosive products," said Ekra.
"Do those that enforce the measure even respect it?"
If people want to lighten their skin, experts say they'll always find a way to do it.
"We tell people it's not good for their health, but if they find something good there... we cannot forbid someone to do what they wish," said Paul Aristide Kadia, who sells the products.
The practice is not only present in Ivory Coast, but widespread elsewhere in Africa, as well as in large parts of Asia.
In nearby Senegal, people mobilised against skin lightening in 2013, but failed to get a ban on products. -
Skin lightening cream is serious in Africa. When I went there it was everywhere, and you know who was doing the marketing for it? Black people here in America. They had commercials with African American women advertising the efficacy of the products.
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It's about ? time
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They will just try to make the ? at home and it will be even worse. I suppose its not that bad a thing overall though.
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Carthaginian wrote: »As a Government body, one of the primary reasons by which you survive is on the health and well-being of your citizens. The creams have proven to be very harmful to the population, and so an action like this is warranted.
Sometimes you have to institute something by force to induce positive change, if previous education efforts have failed. Africans are notoriously stubborn anyway.
Exhibit A: I'm still arguing.
The government can't protect you from yourself. And let's not pretend that the government is some altruistic benefactor that know what's best for its citizens. And why isn't cigarettes banned? Adults need to make adult decisions on their own because only they can make those decisions. -
Chasing fair skin, Ivorians ignore whitening cream ban
.
Abidjan (AFP) - At just 26, Fatou's skin is marbled from layer on layer of whitening cream. Some even call her a "salamander" woman after the little reptile with light spots and translucent skin.
But nothing can stop the hairdresser in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan from using the skin-lightening cream in her quest for a paler complexion.
"I love light skin," Fatou said. "I can't stop."
Many Ivorian women -- as well as more and more men -- are using creams with dangerous chemicals for depigmentation, despite government attempts to stop the practice.
In late April, Ivory Coast banned whitening creams because of the negative health effects associated with them, ranging from white spots and acne to cancer.
If applied liberally, the cosmetics can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes, according to Professor Elidje Ekra, a dermatologist at Abidjan's Treichville university hospital.
The banned products include creams containing mercury, certain steroids, vitamin A, or with hydroquinone levels above two percent.
The dangers don't seem to deter consumers, though.
- 'Women who shine in the night' -
While no official statistics are available, "tchatchos" -- or those with lightened skin, often recognisable by their darker knuckles and elbows -- are omnipresent in Abidjan.
Businesses continue to sell the whitening products, because they know people will continue to buy them despite the risks.
"We know that our lightening products are dangerous," an executive for an Ivorian cosmetic company said, adding that a ban would be counterproductive.
"At least we know the composition."
Some women say that it's societal pressure -- particularly from men -- that forces them to lighten their skin.
"It's men that push women to become lighter," said Marie-Grace Amani, who has been whitening her skin for the past four years.
Ivory Coast's Health Minister Raymonde Goudou Coffie agrees.
Ivorian men "love women who shine in the night", she told AFP.
View galleryA woman, who uses skin whitening cosmetics, poses poses …
A woman, who uses skin whitening cosmetics, poses poses for a photo in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (AFP Pho …
"They bring light and glow in the bedroom."
- Measure still an 'empty shell' -
Three months after the new law was introduced -- which could entail a fine of 50,000 to 350,000 CFA francs (76 to 534 euros / US$83 to $585) for violators -- salons are still advertising their lightening products.
Whitening soaps with names like "Glow and White" and "Body White" leave little doubt as to their intended use.
"After raising awareness, we will move to the next phase of removing products from the market," Coffie said.
A national evaluation and marketing authorisation committee has been set up to ensure implementation of the measures, but one of the biggest fights could be against cultural beauty standards.
Lightened faces continue to proliferate on billboards in Abidjan, with the featured models flaunting fair skin.
Ekra says that while it's a great initiative, the text is still an "empty shell".
"We see women on national television who use the corrosive products," said Ekra.
"Do those that enforce the measure even respect it?"
If people want to lighten their skin, experts say they'll always find a way to do it.
"We tell people it's not good for their health, but if they find something good there... we cannot forbid someone to do what they wish," said Paul Aristide Kadia, who sells the products.
The practice is not only present in Ivory Coast, but widespread elsewhere in Africa, as well as in large parts of Asia.
In nearby Senegal, people mobilised against skin lightening in 2013, but failed to get a ban on products.
The ban must have a political purpose. I mean by that that the governement, the ivorian medias and social workers must work hand in hand in what is the results of decade of MIND BLEACHING.
If 90 % of the ? you wahtch on tv is white europeans, white hispanics ( Novelas ) white singer, mixed and lightskin people, adding that the white man complex, this is what you get.
Step one: i crease the tax on the skin bleaching products on both the sellers and consummers.
Step 2 : PROMOTE BLACK beauty throughout music and movies. And mediatically destroy the image of bleachers and people who love it.
Step 3 : just like face tatooes make bleaching a reason of unemploymentalbility and firing.
In a nutshell, its all about create an anti bkeaching environment.
