Ever get a headache from smelling someone's overly-strong perfume? Well, then you'd probably appreciate what New Hampshire state representative Michele Peckham is trying to do. She has introduced a bill to ban state employees from wearing perfumes while on the job:
State representative Michele Peckham is sponsoring House Bill 1444 which hopes to ban state employees who work with the public from wearing perfume. Apparently a constituent with extreme allergies approached Peckham with the proposal. "It may seem silly, but it's a health issue," Peckham told the Union Leader. "Many people have violent reactions to strong scents."
Previously on Neatorama: Should Wearing Pajamas in Public Be Banned?
I find your article irresponsible by contributing to the ignorance and intolerance that those of us with MCS have to live with daily. Comparing a medical condition that varies from mild to deadly to wearing pajamas in public is insulting and prejudicial. Would you compare being blind to being self conscious about wearing glasses? Having a bad hair cut to losing your hair due to chemotherapy?
Do you also think that school districts that have students who suffer from anaphylactic reactions from being in the same room as peanuts should allow other students to have PB&J for lunch so as to not infringe on the their rights?
For many people living with MCS, extreme allergies, and asthma not allowing fragrances in the workplace is the only way that they are able to function and contribute their varied skill sets in the workforce. The alternative is that these people end up depending on disability.
I am fortunate that my employers are reasonable and educated. They accommodated me willingly so that I have a safe place where I can make a living, contribute to society, and not be a shut in. Not everyone with MCS is as lucky as I am.
I wish that there were more places that had scent free policies. I cannot safely go to almost anywhere without my mask. It would be nice if the state employees that are there to help me did not potentially and unwittingly make me extremely ill in the process.
Happy now, people?
Ideally once people are given the information that fragrances in the marketplace are toxic and are carcinogenic, neurotoxic, respiratory depressants, narcotic, central nervous system depressants, etc. they would refrain from using them and forcing these exposures on others. Unfortunately the majority of people ignore this information and for selfish purposes, whether it is a perceived hygiene problem, insecurities, and brainwashing from marketing or just plain stupidity the majority continue to use these toxic chemicals even though they are not safe. They refuse to accept that these chemicals are toxic, unregulated and not tested. It is a freakish anomaly that these otherwise seemingly intelligent people refuse to recognize and accept the facts. It’s as if they were asked to give up their meth or crack cocaine habit. No doubt there are addictive chemicals in the cocktail of these heavily marketed moneymakers. Perhaps what are really needed are treatment centers to cure these addictions. As a recovering addict it would be very difficult because these “drugs” are everywhere. One whiff of a co-worker’s hand lotion and you go right back on them. One breath of the fragrance fumes from a neighbor’s dryer vent and you’re hooked again.
Seriously what it is about these chemicals that fill so many people with rancor, to treat their fellow man with such malice, to be so narrow-minded? Is it true stupidity, a form of personality disorder (Lack of empathy may take two different directions: (a) accurate interpretation of others' emotions with no concern for others' distress, which is characteristic of psychopaths), or just a child like self righteousness? Who knows?
What we do know is that the chemicals in fragrances are causing harm. We know that large numbers of the population choose to ignore the facts. We know that these same people are unwilling to give up their chemical use for the good of all mankind, the planet, wildlife, etc. So how do we fix this? Removing them from products and getting them off the market would be the thing to do. Until then we are left with regulation and legislation. These are the only tools left when people refuse to cooperate and sacrifice their harmful habits for the greater good. Think about what you are doing. Think about how your choices affect others. Start being part of the solution and not part of the problem.
take a bath and soak in the perfume bubbles,wash your hair with perfume scent,add the conditioner, get out and dry yourself and add some perfumed scented lotion...and now put on your deodorant...who needs perfume when i smell like a billion things already.
We're talking about inescapable situations, like the workplace, where you don't have the option of walking the other way.
Don't airlines have a rule against strong scents for passengers?
@LTH "Why PERFUME??!! Why not CIGARETTES??!!!"
Uhhh, hasn't smoking been banned in the workplace for DECADES?
We also had the same policy for body odour, so we weren't JUST discriminating against perfume-wearers.
What would Roger the Shrubber say?
Almost all of us know someone who has been through chemo and/or has a sensitivity to scent. It could just be the demographic I'm smelling these days, but it seems to me that the public in general has already toned down the amount of cologne they spray and splash on in the morning. I've noticed far fewer Pepe Le Pew-like scent trails wafting behind people. I've wondered if this was not a rising awareness on a very personal level to the effect strong odors can have on the senses of loved ones.
I don't think the problems and consequences of perfume/cologne wearing can be legislated away though. A public awareness campaign would be more helpful.
Ultimately, the nut allergy sufferer, the gluten allergy sufferer, the Latex allergy sufferer...they have the choice to not eat the unknown product, wear the offending condom, etc. Perfume allergy sufferers don't always have that freedom. If we HAVE to do banking with a teller, but she (or he, no discrimination with scents) is wearing a strong scent, we can't get away from it. we can ask for a new teller, but who's to say they might not have something just as reactionary on? And it's not just watering eyes; throats can close up, hives can break out. I don't know about other people, but I'd rather not have to avoid one on one contact just because my body is intolerant to scents. In a store, I can and have walked away from people who's perfume is too strong.
People without these allergies have no idea how sick these smells can make another person; headaches (to the point of migraine), nauseous (to the point of vomiting) make it impossible to deal with these odors. I encounter a variety of people in my daily work and once I had to tell someone "I'm sorry but because of the extremely strong scent of your cologne I am going to have to get another tech to work on your pc because the smell is making me very sick." it was an enclosed office and this man had put on way too much of a very potent cologne.
I think a compromise can be made. A simple friendly workplace rule that if you are going to be interacting with the public you need to be mindful, not just of the public but of your coworkers.
Realistically how long is someone going to be working with a member of the public who has these allergies? Is it really that long of a duration that a public person cannot "though it out" so to speak (that's what I usually have to do." Either that or put up a sign that says if there's any reason you as a person of the public have a problem interacting with the staff due to a medical condition we will accommodate it to the best of out ability. This brings up a good point though if it's a medical condition are they required by law to accommodate it? Where do you stop? Do you tell your employees which soap to use etc. etc. ?
You don't like the smell? It gives you migraines? Well your ugly fat lard of a face makes me throw up. So should we force you to get plastic surgery or wear a paper bag?
Anyway, I thought this was a ridiculous imposition on me especially considering the guy probably just didn't like orange juice and used his 'phobia' as a way to avoid drinking it. Until I actually drank orange juice in front of him, he reacted just to the smell of it and when he saw the orange juice he bolted for the exit.
Eventually I realized that his reaction was involuntary, my drinking the juice publicly was entirely voluntary and the onus was on me to keep the orange juice out of his sight and nostrils. He was a bit eccentric but by all other measures he was a good guy.
I also apshyxiate when I come in contact with some scented products. Strong smells don't bother me it has something to do with the molecular density of the air surrounding a perfumed area and the manner in which those molecules irritate my trachea.
) scented products use "Amorphous Fumed Silica" which you will be happy to know does not lead to Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. However it can cause granulomatous lesions and silicotic nodules.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1648030