Trouble in the air

US cities are banning artificial fragrances in public places

First it was smoking, now US cities are banning artificial fragrances in public places. But, as Kate Hilpern discovers, our love of perfumes really could be making us sick. 
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=580858

Perfume is the new tobacco. The effects of fragrance chemicals have become the focus of a new health scare, with campaigns against "passive smelling" becoming increasingly common.

For some people, second-hand scent is more serious than second-hand smoke, says to Lindsay McManus of Allergy UK. The onset of symptoms are quicker and can be debilitating, she explains. "Whilst some people might get a mild headache from getting a whiff of perfume from someone walking down the street, others may be very ill for several days."

She reports that a growing number of helpline calls are from sufferers of "fragrance sensitivity", with symptoms including dizziness, fatigue, rashes, hives, watery eyes, sore throat and chest tightness. Fragrance sensitivity has even been blamed for learning disabilities and depression. "Normally the blood expels anything toxic," explains McManus. "With fragrance-sensitive people this may not happen and it can affect the nervous system."

Like many sufferers, Josh Devonshire, 32, believes his condition becomes worse with continued exposure. "I used to enjoy wearing aftershave in my early 20s," he says, "but now I can't even tolerate others around me wearing perfumes, colognes or soap. It's particularly bad in the winter, when the cold weather dries out my nasal membranes and the chemicals seem to get into my system even quicker."

Department stores, theatres and even aeroplanes have become no-go areas, he explains. "At work, I've asked everyone to make my desk a scent-free zone, but that hasn't worked and, on a few occasions, I've had to go home because my chest feels so tight and I can't concentrate," he says.
Medications aiming to deal with allergies don't work, he claims.

The US, as well as Canada, takes the problem far more seriously than Britain does. In Halifax, Nova Scotia, a policy of "no scents makes good sense" discourages the wearing of cosmetic fragrances in municipal offices, libraries, schools, hospitals, courts and public transport.
Santa Cruz in California has banned fragrances from public meetings, whilst neighbouring Marin County boasts a growing number of restaurants with fragrance-free sections...

What's the difference between perfume and pollution?

The Guardian,  Nov 6, 2004 Saturday
http://www.guardian.co.uk/editor/story/0,,1344768,00.html

The suspect sense of smell "What's the difference between perfume and pollution?   Absolutely nothing," declared the Ecologist (November). Perfumes are "composed of neurotoxic solvents not dissimilar from those favoured by glue-sniffers and volatile chemicals usually more at home in industrial factories", it said.

Under EU legislation, there is little restriction on what perfumes can contain. Most fragrance chemicals are derived from petroleum and can be absorbed through the skin. Some have the potential to damage the liver and kidneys, while others "accumulate in fatty tissue and leach slowly back into the system or are passed onto children via breastmilk".

The Ecologist examined the contents of Calvin Klein's Eternity, which accounts for 3.1% of the UK "fine fragrance" market. Of the perfume's 41 listed ingredients, "33 have no relevant safety data. Of the rest, data suggests they are toxic, irritant, capable of causing allergic reactions, damaging to the central nervous system and carcinogenic." The magazine agreed with campaigners that this and other perfumes should carry a warning that "the safety of this product has not been determined."

For information on the health effects of fragrances, Please visit: http://www.fpinva.org