Students voice opposition to fragrance, smoking ban at Framingham State

[The Straight Story]

Students voice opposition to fragrance, smoking ban at Framingham State

FRAMINGHAM (MA)—

Framingham State University students yesterday rejected a proposed smoking and fragrance ban at the school, calling the idea ridiculous, an infringement on their rights and a prohibition that would be difficult to enforce.

.....

Colucci said she decided to hold the meeting after hearing complaints from several people on campus bothered by certain chemicals.

"It's a health issue," she said. "We have a responsibility to provide as healthy an environment here as possible."

University employee Lois Oak said her asthma was exacerbated to extreme levels last November after someone in her office repeatedly sprayed Lysol in the hallway. Wearing a surgical mask, Oak told the audience she now has to work from home because she can become violently ill from exposure to certain chemicals.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/education/x1302184824/Students-voice-opposition-to-fragrance-smoking-ban-at-Framingham-State

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. Strange story, starting as a ban on perfume, etc

then a reaction to the smell of Lysol, which I didn't think was a kind of perfume.

Then the Lysol-phobe wears a dust-mask, to keep the odor of Lysol away? How does that work?

What's next? Lawyers?

:wtf:

[LiberalEsto]

2. Fragrance bans can be a godsend for people like me

My Unitarian congregation asks people not to wear fragrances at services and other church activities. This is because there are people like me who have what's called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I am not the only one in our congregation. Fragrances can literally make us sick.

Having MCS means you never know when you're going to be exposed to some chemical - like the artificial fragrances in commercial perfumes, hair products, soaps, laundry detergents and more - that will set off an allergic reaction and make you ill.

My MCS is relatively mild compared to other people I know. I can't use regular soap or shampoo or conditioner, because doing so would make me itch, give me a headache, make my eyes swell almost shut and possibly bring on an asthma attack.

I have to use a soap-like product called Cetaphil, and search for shampoos that don't contain sodium laureth sulfate or fragrances. I can't use regular laundry detergents because the chemicals and fragrances in them will make me itch when I wear the clothes after washing. I can't use fabric softeners. I also can't use most cosmetics like lipstick, mascara, nail polish or blush.

For cleaning the house, I must stick with baking soda, vinegar and organic products that are based on citrus oil. There is no way I can allow a fragrant air freshener in the house. I used to work Saturdays at a newspaper, when the cleaning crew would come in. After a short time, the cleaning chemicals got to me so badly that my face turned bright red and itchy. I got dizzy and started wheezing and coughing, with my eyes watering.

There's a guy in the congregation who is a biochemist, and his exposures to various chemicals gave him a severe case of MCS. He works for a federal agency, but must work at home on his computer because he can't handle being in the office with all its smells. He can't be around fresh paint -- when we painted the church worship hall, he couldn't go inside it for 2 years, even though we used low-VOC paint. He can't bring home any new electronic device -- he has to give it to a relative to keep for him until it has "aged" enough to no longer emit chemicals. If he's not careful, he ends up in the hospital with pneumonia brought on by severe allergic reaction. His MCS could literally kill him.

MCS is not a joke for us. We have to go through all sorts of contortions just to do routine things that others take for granted.