Fragrance debate: A matter of scents and sensibility?

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Fragrance debate: A matter of scents and sensibility?

As fragrances pop up in more products, the demand for reining in

their presence grows louder from those who are allergic or sensitive,

leading to a showdown between legality and courtesy.

By Kim Ode, Star Tribune

Last update: March 29, 2007 – 11:29 PM

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Whether they come in a whiff or a wallop, fragrances surround us. No

longer just seduction in a sculpted bottle, scent is in laundry soaps

and window cleaners, shampoos and candles, magazine ads and baby

wipes. When DuPont coined the slogan " Better Living ... Through

Chemistry " in 1935, who could have imagined citrus-scented children's

socks?

Now, a debate is wafting about as to whether fragrance enhances our

lives or exacerbates health problems. A bill before the Minnesota

Legislature calls for a pilot project in Minneapolis public schools

to educate people about the potentially harmful effects of fragrance

products on sensitive people. The Fragrance-Free Schools Education

Pilot Project -- sponsored by Rep. and Sen.

Ray, both Minneapolis DFLers -- would promote the view that

such products might trigger asthma or chemical sensitivity reactions

in students, contributing to learning and breathing problems.

Hurson, executive vice president for government affairs with the

Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association in Washington, said the

issue of possible bans surfaced last year in Rhode Island and

Massachusetts. After considering legal options, the schools simply

asked students to use common courtesy, he said. The association

believes government regulation is appropriate when something results

in " widespread adverse health reactions, " but fragrance sensitivities

do not yet meet that standard, Hurson said.

Pam Costain, chairwoman of the Minneapolis school board, said the

issue has never come before the board. But the teachers' contract for

Minneapolis schools states: " An environment as free as possible of

fragrances such as strong cleaning agents, perfumes, cologne, or

scented lotions would be appreciated by those who are affected. "

The American Lung Association says that an estimated 4 million

children under 18 years old had an asthma attack in 2004, and that

many others have " hidden " or undiagnosed asthma. Almost eight in 10

kids with asthma have significant allergies -- one reason asthma is

considered the most common cause of school absenteeism.

Fragrance is among the many triggers the association lists for asthma

attacks. Offices have become scent-free zones to aid employees with

chemical sensitivities. Churches designate pews for those who need

some distance from perfumed fellow worshippers.

Many people, though, never experience discomfort from fragrances and

will resent being asked to change their habits. The arguments recall

the smoke-free debate and the question of where one person's rights

end and another's begin.

Scented products are under scrutiny because of the chemicals used to

make them, most of them synthetic compounds derived from petroleum,

some of them toxic to sensitive people. How did we reach a point

where everything begs to be inhaled?

" Scent sells, " said Lynn Lawson, a former medical writer and

university instructor, who wrote the book " Staying Well in a Toxic

World " in 1993. Lawson likens the issue to the smoking debate. " It's

two different sets of rights, a balance of the two issues, " she said.

Pamela Hoopes, legal director of the Disability Law Center in

Minneapolis, said scent and smoke issues have similar emotional

underpinnings, but while secondhand smoke is considered harmful to

everyone, not everyone has chemical sensitivities to scent. She said

the issue comes up " periodically " and often is settled by employers

and employees finding a reasonable accommodation, such as a change in

the arrangement of office cubicles or the ventilation system.

Minnesota was on the cutting edge of regulating fragrances as far

back as 1993. That's when the School of Social Work at the University

of Minnesota became a scent-free zone to aid a receptionist whose

lungs had been damaged in a chemical accident at the U.

" It was quite a brouhaha, " recalled ston, retired

coordinator of the school. TV crews converged. Oprah called. So did

the perfume lobby.

Today, signs identify the area as scent-free. Windows have been

redesigned to open. Efforts are made to tell visitors of the policy

before they arrive, and the custodial staff uses scent-free cleaning

products. " The public health model of education is better than trying

to legislate it, " ston said.

Pathways, a health crisis resource center in Minneapolis, is another

scent-free zone because many of its clients have chemical

sensitivities or compromised immune systems, said director

Bell. There's no enforcement muscle, " but it's been an important tool

for healing clients, " Bell said. " That doesn't mean we haven't had

people in tears or get angry when they're asked to leave. "

Kim Ode • 612-673-7185 • kimode@...