Pink Plates cause controversy in Colorado

Over 25,000 motorists in Colorado , USA , display distinctive 'pink plates' on their cars.

The special registration plates bear the legend 'Committed to a Cure' and aim to raise awareness of breast cancer.

However, none of the $50 fee levied the plates currently goes to medical research, but is simply swallowed up by production and administration costs, with any excess pooled into the general highway maintenance fund.

Legislation has now been proposed which will add a further $25, the whole of which will go to the Medicaid charity which, it is estimated, will provide health care eligibility to some 300 sufferers currently without medical insurance cover.

But Carol Hickman, who started the original campaign in 2006 and whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, is opposed to the move.

She has been campaigning at the State Capitol building where the proposal received a preliminary 60-4 majority.

Carol maintains that, "It's changing the scope of the plate from being a broad awareness campaign driving people to take action based on their unique circumstances and the impact it's had on their life, to be very focused on supporting a very narrow cause of the entire breast cancer crusade." Her point being that, treatment in itself does not help to find a cure.

However, State legislator, Dianne Primavera, supports the plan and says; "It's great to raise awareness, but awareness needs to go a step further. We can do both. We can raise awareness and treat women who are dying."

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