Sheryl Crow Didn't Get Breast Cancer from Hot Plastic Water Bottles

I have received several copies now of an email that continues to re-circulate - it talks about how Sheryl Crow developed breast cancer because of drinking water from plastic water bottles that she had left out in her hot car.

OK. This was almost too silly for me to respond to... but it has just enough validity that thousands of women would believe it in it's current out-of-context form.

Have plastics been linked to cancer, especially hormonal cancers like breast and prostate? You bet! What frightened me about this email circulating around the world wide web was that many people would read it and either stop drinking bottled water, or stop drinking bottled water that they had left in their cars... and they'd erroneously think they were "good to go". The isssue of toxic xenoestrogens and plastics goes FAR beyond water bottles. Consider: food storage, cooking in the microwave using plastic containers or plastic wrap, packaging of processed foods, the off-gassing of every plastic item in our homes... the list goes on and on. Of course we also know that water is not the culprit in those bottles... fruit juice, pop, sports drinks, kids' drinks... if it's in plastic, it's toxic.

We live in a very toxic society, where dangerous chemicals surround us every second of the day. To isolate one toxic component, like heated plastic water bottles, is a rookie move. I understand that it was probably meant to help many people. But, again, taken out of context, this is ridiculous and lacks much value.

As an interesting side note: Yesterday was 94 degrees where I live. As I was stopped at a light, I noticed at both gas stations on the corner that they were storing cases upon cases of plastic water bottles outside on the sidewalk... in the blazing sun!!! Lovely.