Secondhand fumes
Recently I was playing slot machines in a Black Hawk casino. I came home reeking of other people’s secondhand scents from perfumes, colognes and various other artificially scented products, which are far more ubiquitous than any secondhand smoke I noticed.
People can avoid smoke if they choose to, but what about those of us who experience adverse health effects from secondhand man-made fragrances that also contain numerous harmful chemicals? Is the air really cleaner? Perfumes are also indoor air pollutants, and cause many people migraines and asthma.
Connie Pitts, Aurora
Blasphemy! insinuating that there are other harmful chemicals in the air than tobacco smoke? Do you smoke crack?(kidding)
Posted by on January 30, 2007 02:47 AMYou're right on Connie.
The funniest cig bashing rant I ever heard was from a lady complaining that when she walks out of the airport, into the covered arrival area where 100's of vehicles are either idling or passing by, spewing poisoness exhaust, she complained because she could smell cig smoke!
I told her to be happy she could smell the cigs thru all that poisoness gas since it was probably ther cleanest thing going in her lungs.
Posted by KW on January 30, 2007 08:00 AMIt doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there are more toxic gases coming out of one car or truck exhaust pipes than there are in hundreds of packs of cigarettes and, there are more cars and trucks on the roads, in parking garages, idiling at stop signals, starting up in the morning in front of houses producing more toxic fumes than a million packs of cigarettes every day. Some might say that is not in a closed building where the fumes can gather and they would be right. It's not in a closed in area, It's in the very air you breath evey minute of your life, and you can see it's dirty brown cloud. It creeps into every part of your life, more dangerous than tobacco smoke could ever be. Then there is the fertilizer you put on your lawn that seeps into the grounwater poluting it with poisons that are worse than anything in tobacco. I could go on, but you get the point, there's a whole lot more dangerous things to worry about than tobacco smoke, Over 40 studies have proven that the claims that second hand smoke is a danger to health is nothing more than than lies created by antismoking advocates. The problem is the lie has been told for so long that people believe it.
Posted by Allen Campbell on January 30, 2007 01:37 PMAllen - I don't think I'll ever understand why a segment of our society has such a dire need to hate something. What they hate changes from time to time but they always need some other segment of society to loath. They'll turn a deaf ear to facts and logic, feeling superior in their belief. Then when you add the support group factor in there's just no stopping them. It's really sad.
Posted by KW on January 30, 2007 02:49 PMKW and Allen and Connie:
Your arguments are seriously flawed. First of all, you cannot compare the exhaust fumes of motor vehicles to cigarette smoke because there is one HUGE difference between exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke: ONE IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR DAILY FUNCTIONING ! Can you function without your car ? But I bet you'd do just find without your cigarettes! Smoking is a totally elective habit. Driving a car is not; it's an absolute necessity. Until I get a pair of bionic legs, I must rely on a car for transportation, especially when I purchase a CD player that came in an box that must have weighed 40 pounds and took up practically my whole back seat.
As for perfumes and colognes...I never leave a smoke-filled room reeking of perfume, but the smoke is in my hair and clothes. And if someone is wearing so much fragrance that I gag, I will point this out to her...or him anyways. Second-hand perfume is very unpleasant, but not harmful to the lungs.
You mean the zealots that think they know better how you should live your life better than you do. Well, they have always been around. they have notable names like Mao, Hitler, Stalin, Amin etal. And if you think that can't happen again remember, if you fail to learn from history you are doomed to repeate it.
Tyranny always starts with seemingly meaningful, helpfull, laws which serve to get people use to government taking care of them. Then the laws increase there inch by inch erosion of justice and freedom of choice while the government keeps up the propaganda that they are looking out for your best interests . By the time people wake up to the truth it's to late. The rights and freedoms they cherished are no more. But you are right KW, people are lazy, they would rather believe what they want to believe than invetigate and find what the truth really is.
Posted by Allen Campbell on January 30, 2007 03:50 PMErricka doesn't realize that perfume formulations are not what they once were. Chemical analyses have proven them to be full of respiratory irritants, and nearly 100 carcinogens. I would say that that isn't exactly non-harmful to people's lungs. People could learn a lot by reading www.fpinva.org, www.ehnca.org, and www.nottoopretty.org. Might make people think twice before slathering on their falsely advertised scented products.
Posted by Jamie on January 30, 2007 03:57 PMExactly correct Connie: The scented odors from perfumes, colognes, are a very serious problem for thousands with Asthma---RADS----Allergies---Multiple Chemical Sensitities---I myself can get bad migrianes at times from perfume exposures even thou cigarette smoke doesn't trigger them. Many persons I know are housebound there so sensitive to perfumes. Many agents found in perfumes are known toxic compounds to the Central Nervious System. Steve
Posted by steve on January 30, 2007 04:22 PMIf perfumes really are loaded with carcinogens, then I will boldly proclaim that people are fools for wearing them. It's just that the molecules of fragrances won't get into my body as much as inhaled cigarette smoke. Nevertheless, I've always wondered about people who dunk themselves in perfumes and colognes. A man wearing cologne doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell with me. A freshly bathed body with scented soap should be enough. Some perfumes DO smell good, in very light doses, but I cannot stand the stink of cologne.
Posted by ERRICKA on January 30, 2007 04:50 PMERRICKA, people are ignorant. They are sold a bill of goods when they buy any product with the benign-sounding word "fragrance" on the label. It is only after they start figuring out that their swollen lymph glands, their sleep disturbances, perhaps their cancers, asthma, migraines, aphasia, ataxia, or their baby's fetal development problems or even SIDS, that they start to seriously look into just what goes into modern, petrochemical-derived fragrances. And I might add, their twin, flavors. These products contain known carcinogens, hormone disrupters, irritants (to respiratory system and skin), neurotoxins, sensitizers (to respiratory system and skin) and teratogens (capable of adversely affecting developing embryos and fetuses). Petrochemical-derived fragrances are a heady brew to unleash upon an unsuspecting public.
Now, for the next surprise to those of you who bring up vehicular exhaust. Commonly used consumer products -- including fragrance products for personal care and cleaning and maintenance projects -- come in second in pollution factors to vehicular exhaust in the Los Angeles basin. Source: Chemicals in Home a Big Smog Source; GARY POLAKOVIC; LA Times, 9mar03: "Cleansers, cosmetics and other products pump 100 tons of pollutants daily into the Southland's air, ranking second to tailpipe emissions, studies show. ..."
Sincerely,
barb wilkie
EHN president emerita
Errika - The difference is you don't have to patronize a business that allows smoking unless you want to. That's your choice. You can visit the 1000's of places than don't allow smoking. But instead you prefer having private property rights trampled by telling the bar owner he can't allow smoking anymore. Having a smoke with a drink is something mankind has been doing since the two were invented.
What's wrong with leaving the decision to the owner and letting patrons decide which they prefer. And don't jump into the health issue becasue if health was truly your concern then you wouldn't be polluting the atmosphere by driving a car.
PS Driving a car is an expensive convenience, not an absolute necessity.
Posted by KW on January 30, 2007 05:11 PMThe problem is that most people are not aware of the health risks of using fragrances, due to lack of media attention (big money for politicians)... But even though some people think they are not inhaling enough of it, they are, and worse yet, it's in most personal care products, cleaning products, and even laundry products. It's killing our children, as their brains are still developing. For example, learn what nasty chemicals are in scented fabric softeners and dryer sheets at www.ourlittleplace.com. Sure some perfumes might smell nice, but they are poisonous and have disabled millions of people. Ask congresswoman Janice Schakowsky [D] Ill., if you need confirmation of that. Her Safe Notification Information For Fragrances bill was shot down twice. Maybe she will introduce it again. If people are not smelling the toxic vaports, all those carcinogens are soaking into their skin. Pretty nasty stuff.
Posted by Carolyn on January 30, 2007 05:35 PMThere is more to petrochemical-derived fragrances than meets the eye. All you are allowed to learn by labeling is that the mainstream, commonly used consumer products for personal care and cleaning and maintenance projects contain "fragrance." It takes analyses to find out that each individual scent is made up of tens to hundreds of chemicals, which obviously have been released to market without substantiation of safety and without the FDA's supposed mandatory consumer alert. That alert, if the industry weren't boss, would read:
'WARNING: The safety of this product has not been determined.' vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html
Full studies for substantiation of safety are nonexistent. To find adverse events before marketing means they must be reported. No tests means that there are no adverse events to report. The consumers are the guinea pigs . . . and they pay perfectly good money to send their health, and the health of others around them, down the tubes. Amazing.
So, before diving into this issue on strictly an emotional basis, I challenge all of you to do some research on the topic. You may start with websites like that of my friend and colleague, Betty Bridges, RN and her renowned Fragranced Products Information Network at www.fpinva.org. Also, there is the site that I donate to the Environmental Health Network at www.ehnca.org. Both sites are home to the Citizens' Petition, 99P-1340, filed with the US Food and Drug Administration on May 11, 1999. That petition, even while it languishes at the FDA, is still open and accepting letters from the wise public who want safer fragrance products.
If safer is good enough for our friends in Europe, why not for us in the US?
Sincerely,
barb wilkie
EHN president emerita
I have news for all of you, You are all going to die!! There is no way around it. You could do all the things that they tell you to do and then get in an accident and die. I would much rather live my life the way I want to and enjoy it instead of worring about the inevitable. Point #2 there is no way you can point to one thing such as ETS or perfumes or whatever and blame it on deaths. Think about it. You breathe in carbon monoxide everyday from the cars, trucks, and ect... and the chemicals in your home and in your perfumes. It's in your food and in the water. It's in the soil!! It's in the air. Also it could run in your family. There are lots of factors to cause sickness and even death. This country was founded on freedom. Our forefathers wanted us to be free of opression, free to believe what we want, free to be business owners ect... As long as we take away peoples rights to think for themselves and turn to the government to take care of us we are destroying our constitution and all it stands for. If ETS was as bad as they say we would have banned it a long time ago when our people smoked more that ever, back in the 40's 50's and 60's. We would have had an epidimic of lung cancer and respritory diseases. But now when less and less people smoke we are now seeing more deaths in those areas. Do you possibly think it might be pollution that is killing us from all of our cars? Think about it. People have become finatics about ETS due to the fact that the media has put out all these lies from the Anti's. They don't like ETS and that is ok but don't push it on everyone and cause hate. No one says you need to go into a business that alows smoking or drinking or what ever else you don't want to be around. The world did not evolve around you and not everyone is like you and we all should have our rights. That's what the constitution is about and the 10 bill of rights.
Posted by Lisa Fender on January 30, 2007 08:50 PMThe comments about the perfume smells are on the same health concern level as second hand smoke.
The government classifies fragrances as food & nutrition. Therefore, they are not regulated as much as they should be.
There are MORE health risks associated with fragrances than second hand smoke, in my opinion. How about risk of harm to the unborn child, damage to the DNA of adult sperm, skin sensitizers, respiratory irritants, cellular necrosis of cornea cells to cite a few.
Testing HAS been done on a lot of fragrances, are you so programed by Madision Avenue that you think the corporations who make these fragrances are going to say "can cause fetal damage"? So, since they are NOT required to submit to testing under their current classification, the public will keep getting injured and the numbers are increasing year by year.
Ever hear of an MSDS aka Material Safety Data Sheet? Try getting one from a fragrance company....almost non-existent...but, they do have to have them....they, just are not availalbe to us.
Within 10 or so years, there will be fragrance bans such as they have now started in more health consicous and intuitive places.
ERIKKA was erroneous in her comment that the molecules in fragracnes won't get into her system as much as cigarette smoke. She needs to understand the interrelationship between the olfactory system and the brain.
Also,PERFUMES/FRAGRANCES are KNOWN RESPIRATORY IRRITANTS.
I know, I deformulated a fragrance and had it tested for respiraotry effects...no surprise, it was an irritant to 75% of the subjects.
If you don't think that perfume is dangerous.. research the hard core science on 1,000's of cosmetics or fragrances by the Environmental Working Group's site, Skin Deep
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/?key=nosign
"Toliet water was meant to be FLUSHED not worn" Angel De Fazio
Posted by Angel De Fazio on January 30, 2007 11:22 PMWell I think we should just ban it all! Cigs, Perfume, Cars, Trucks, Chemicals, everything, just ban it!! People are fanatics! It's all tunnel vision. I worked at Cobe labs for years. I cleaned out vats after they emptied the freon out. We worked with methiline- cloride there was over 1500 chemicals there. But we had a filter system to help protect us supposedly. I think instead of banning everything we need to look at filter systems and regulations. They regulate vehicles so we can continue to drive. They don't ban cars. We need to change our perspective true but banning things isn't the answer especially if we aren't willing to ban vehicles. It's all about money and convienience, not about health.
Posted by Lisa Fender on January 31, 2007 05:27 AMWhy even rely upon government when they are the ones passing the laws permitting the ingredients in all of our products to remain secret? The purchase of a product is a contract between the vendor and the consumer. That contract is violated when we are not allowed to know what is in our foods, drinks, personal care products, construction materials, cleaners, pesticides etc. If full disclosure of ingredients were permitted, consumers and their doctors would be free to arrive at useful conclusions that correlate symptoms/illnesses with exposure data.
In the meantime, health care is now at 16% of the GNP, utilized by persons who's disposable income is no longer available to invest in the economy (medical costs are mostly wasted resources). As more of the population becomes ill with preventable ailments, our economy falters with the need to support formerly productive individuals. The Social Security Administration tells us that nearly a third of workers will become disabled before reaching retirement age. Length of life is not the point, but its quality and the premature curtailment of full activity.
The persons discussing the effects of various products here such as smoke, fragrances etc. have studied the chemistry involved. Simply hoping that these items are not truly harmful, stemming from trust in the manufacturers, government regulators or for purposes of convenience, is magical thinking. Good for industry but not for the country.
If industry invested in a large consumer base of healthy, productive persons with disposable income to burn, the economy would blossom. Changing product lines to avoid hazardous ingredients is not going to be legislated as long as people stand in line to purchase these hidden dangers.
The answers rest in our hands, as always. Responsible consumers can control supply.
Learn about what you buy before deciding you really want to use it or recommend it to others. You will be amazed at what you find out.
Barbara Rubin
Former educator, free lance writer,
disabled by pesticide poisoning at the age of 45.
Once again I must quote from the OSHA study which spans12 years. " Those who continue to advocate workplace smoking bans therefor presum to mandate their requirements in defiance of OSHA"S conclusions and presume regulatory power to themselves greater than OSHA ". People are lazy, and gullible. It's all to easy for them to believe propaganda that supports their personal likes and dislikes and to agree with anything that insures they get what they want, no matter the harm it may do. Truth, on the other hand, requires rigorous investigation of ALL evidence. I've often said that no one has a right to have an opinion on anything if they lack all the knowledge available on the subject. They can have all the feelings, passion, emotion and belief they want But, that is not knowledge. Paul Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist was right, "If a lie is told long enough it becomes the new truth ". Don't make the mistake of being fooled into believing what you want to believe for selfserving reasons, that way leads to ignorance and self deception and that, inevitable, opens the door to tyranny.
Posted by Allen Campbell on January 31, 2007 07:59 AMYes, Lisa Fender , we ALL are going to die sometime. None of us gets out of this life alive! Granted. But you are ignoring QUALITY OF LIFE. You are ignoring that we ALL, each and everyone of us, are capable of doing something for our health, the health of our children, of those around us . . . and for the health and wellness of Mother Earth.
No one who is already chemically injured believes that all cigarettes, fragrances, vehicles, carpets, paints, etc., will be or can be banned. That is all in the mind of a person in need of healing. What we do believe firmly is that there are safer alternatives. We can use products that don't so badly pollute our air, bodies, land and water. We could have cars that got more mileage and used more economical fuel with fewer consequences, except it better served the oil industry to have the gas guzzlers we have. But even having them, we can link trips, car-pool, take public transit (if your transit agency tries to educate the public against the use of perfumed polluting products), and in some cases, telecommute at least some of the workdays. There are ways.
But as is said, it takes an open mind, like an open parachute, to work. The challenge is to the consumer. Your decision to buy only safer products will eventually make a difference. In the meantime, keep in mind that that next breath you breathe in could be the one that sets your body down the path to something like MCS, CFIDS, Parkinson's, cancer, . . . or as in my case, stage five renal disease. So far, I'm six months past my "dead"line . . . and I'd like to keep on counting. Believe me, do not take your health for granted; nor the health of others around you. It is just far too cavalier for life!
Sincerely,
barb wilkie
EHN president emerita
Yes Barb Wilkie I agree that's what I was saying. We need to regulate true and if something is that deadly without a doubt than we should get rid of it. I just believe that people go alittle crazy on issues and they believe everything they hear instead of checking out both sides. I have a roomate that everything she hears she freaks out and believes. Life is to short to be scared of it. I want to enjoy my life and live it to the best of my ability. I might die tomorrow but I have lived a full life. I know a-lot of people are disabled but they still live life to they're fullest potential. I have fibromyalgia and I am always in pain. I have had it for 15yrs but it doesn't control me I control it. I realize everyone is different and have different agenda's in they're life but I am tired of people trying to run mine. I believe they're needs to be a choice for people. That is why we have a "free country" supposedly and I believe businesses should beable to run they're businesses as they see fit as long as it's within the paremiters of the law. I am on the board of the coalition for equal rights and I have seen the devistation the smoking ban has done not only to the owners but also to the people that work there. There is a-lot of single mothers that work in these establishments and that is they're income to survive on and they're children. Also I don't believe they have the right to legislate these people out of they're businesses. I also believe as a country are allowing the government to destroy our constitution. That is what sepparates us from the other governments in the world and has made us the country we are today. Without it we are just another dictatorship or socialist government. I am still in the belief of "we the People", they are supposed to answer to us not the other way around. Anyway, enough said. I wish you luck in your endevers and hope you have a full wonderful life. Take care
Lisa Fender
Fender Entertainment
Jr. Vice President
Coalition For Equal Rights
Hello Lisa,
Your comments indicate the mark of a true activist but it is important to look at what may happen the day AFTER tomorrow, before deciding upon the most useful course of action in a given situation. I used to live in New York and the smoking ban had only short-lived effects upon the bar scene there. Business returned to its former levels when people got tired of complaining about the ban and hosting parties in their own homes. Patrons went outside to smoke and returned to their buddies inside to buy drinks. Bartenders and wait staff didn't have to wake up coughing blood the next morning or lose precious disposable income on antibiotics for bronchitis or inhalers for asthma developed on the job. Healthier people spend more quality time (and money) on their kids. It is horrible to hold people hostage to unhealthy work environments in order to earn their pay. That is the strategy at work in employers complaining about the ban, not to mention barring many patrons with respiratory problems from enjoying those same services.
Science isn't democratic. You don't count the numbers of studies and decide, okay, 500 for, 550 against and make your decision. The weight of evidence is based upon quality of research. Most studies are funded by vested interests asking highly restricted questions and hiding the answers if not to their liking (proprietary research). Women and children are the biggest victims of this kind of science because toxicity studies of chemicals are mostly based upon what a healthy, adult male can tolerate. Males have larger body weights and lower concentrations of fat cells surrounding their organs, which retain toxins.
Your fibromyalgia may actually be the result of this kind of discrimination in approving toxic chemicals for sale. One cause (there are others) for fibromyalgia is an imbalance between two enzymes called acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Exposure to certain pesticides used everywhere, until recently, causes suppression of AChE. This leads to chronic pain from hyperactive reflexes and constant stimulation to the muscles to contract. This is the source of my fibro pain. I am lucky it isn't severe enough to keep me from taking care of myself but I know people crippled by it. Those same chemicals caused other damage to me as well. That product, Dursban, was called 'safe' by its vendors for decades until many thousands of complaints and numerous studies showed it to be highly toxic. It was pulled off the shelves finally when EPA finally banned it from indoor use completely and for use on lawns.
Do you know how many were permanently harmed? In order to get a ban on toxic products, the body count must go incredibly high before anyone deals with the realities of this form of industry-led abuse of our biochemistry? If I had not researched the matter myself with the large body of evidence in reputable medical journals and through toxicological testing of my environments, I might have died from all my exposures. Now I am a burden upon society, receiving a disability check instead of making a real difference in my former profession of teaching. Yes, I was most often exposed to these poisons in the schools where I worked. Teachers (mostly women) have a high rate of autoimmune disease as published in the Journal of Rheumatology but no one is trying to figure out why. . .
Science is a tool but, like all tools, has to be picked up and wielded correctly in order to be used productively.
Thank you for your diligence in women's causes. I hope you will look into the discrimination against women and children, with regard to the testing of chemical formulations. Many women could enjoy longer and more productive working lives if this happens.
Regards,
Barbara Rubin
Posted by Barbara Rubin on February 1, 2007 07:45 AMI can see it now. smokers going to the casinos playing slots for 30 minutes, they need a cigarette. they have 2 or 3 hundred dollars racked up on the machine,.they do not want to give there machine up, so they call an attendant over to lock down their machine while they go out and smoke for 20 min. 20% of the people who go into a casino smoke. How many casinos, which adds up to a few 100 people stand outside smoking. So during that 20 min every hour, ha, polluting the outside and how much money do you think the casino's are loosing? Gee, how much tax revenue is lost? So now government need to re coop their loses and you people who want to ban smoking are now going to be taxed even more for one of you favorite things.
Maybe you need to realize that the small pubs, taverns and bar have an economic lost up to 30 - 40 % . additional problems have been cause by the ban Examples,. drinks being taken outside, woman who go out to have a cig. get harassed or even worse by man. people have been robbed or beaten while out smoking , drug dealers have approached the smokers wanting to sell drugs or pot, fights, or just people out there smoking pot while the police think they are just smoking regular cig. Then we have the bartender going out to police their property and their cash register gets cleaned out or liquor being taken from the back bar and the thief walks out the back door and disappears. Who is the big looser? Not the non-smokers because none of the bar owners have seen any of you.
The only good way to solve a bad bill is FREEDOM OF CHOICE. POST A PLAQUE ON THE DOOR STATING THIS IS A SMOKING OR NON-SMOKING ESTABLISHMENT. THAT WAY THE PEOPLE WHO SMOKE CAN EVER WORK OR PATRONIZE THAT LOCATIONS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT WHO MAKE A CHOICE TO BE NON-SMOKING CAN DO THE SAME FOR NON-SMOKER. (NOW THAT IS EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL ). remember Its called
FREEDOM OF CHOICE.
There are all kinds of people out there that disagree. This time it is smoking. Sorry to say these people are so busy telling the smokers not to smoke and how to live their lives, they like to control other people, because they have no life of their own. Its very sad. Government intrusion is the same way. The need to control. People are not supposed to have any kind of life, entertainment or relaxation. This is why there are so many problems in this world. They need your tax money, they want you to work 24/7, no time for living. No time for fun or relaxation.
These people are so busy seeing the smokers as a problem, they do not see the small Business and the Hugh economic losses they have suffered. Some of these businesses have been passed down from generation to generation. These people have put their life savings in to their business. They employee hard working people and provide a place for good conversations and place to relax and get away from the daily problems of the world. Now they are forced into being discriminated against because of people who want to control them, these people go to the bars to get away from people like that. Mainly because these people to do not patronize those locations.
Now we have this woman who does not like the smell of perfume. How dump. What's next, smelly tennis shoes, limburger cheese, fish, body odor, just outlaw it all. Then people like Barbara will be happy. Maybe these people should address issues of more importances like loosing English as the American language. Then I could say you might be a true American.
Posted by FERGIE on February 1, 2007 09:42 AMHi Barbara, Yes I am an activist but obviously so are you! Anyway just to let you know the smoking ban in New york did quite a bit of harm to businesses. They only tell you what they want you to hear. In fact they are still fighting along with other states and they are running out of time. If at all interested in true statistics you can always go to www.smokersclubinc.com or to forces.org. Anyway they have been fighting a-lot of bans mostly smoking for 10yrs atleast and forces also has over 42 studies that were done on ETS and smoking that are very interesting. As far as fibromyalgia mine was triggered from an injury at work that they continued to have me irritate by forcing me to work instead of letting me heal. They just didn't want to pay full workmans comp. I do not take medication because I am alergic to most so I have learned what works and what doesn't. The chemicals that I have been exposed to were at the same job that I contracted to Fibromyalgia and that was back in the early 90's. The chemicals were freon and methilene chloride the most but the company had over 1500 chemicals. I am sorry to hear that you have had to endure disability from pestisides. That is absolutely horrible!! Unfortunetly we do need some chemicals in our lives because in history when we did everything naturally we would have lost whole crops due to invasions of pests. I guess when you have millions to feed you figure out a way and sometimes don't realize other alternatives before it is to late. I just feel that we all do deserve choices in life and I am sick of people trying to impose they're way on me. Everyone is different and enjoy different things and we deserve to have freedom of choice. Again like I said if something is that obviously harmful that's one thing but when it comes to smoking that should be a choice due to the fact that they really can't prove anything especially with ETS. I know quite a few people that have lived in they're 60's 70, 80's and even 90's that smoked and drank and did not die from it and some are still around. If ETS is as bad as they try to portray it it would have been banned 40 yrs ago when our country smoked the most. We would have had an epidemic of people contracting all these deseases. Anyway I hope your life is fullfilling to the best of your ability and I hope you always have a-lot of people that love you and support you. You take care and keep up the good fight! Lisa
Posted by Lisa on February 1, 2007 06:25 PMIts about time people are recognizing the dangers of aromas and second hand smoke. Its only been since 1938 that these chemicals have been in our environmental products, and never tested. Chemicals in evereyday products are something that can be avoided if only you know the labels contents and know where to get products without harmful chemicals.
www.healthy-communications.com
www.publicsright2know.org
Its about time people are recognizing the dangers of aromas and second hand smoke. Its only been since 1938 that these chemicals have been in our environmental products, and never tested. Chemicals in evereyday products are something that can be avoided if only you know the labels contents and know where to get products without harmful chemicals.
www.healthy-communications.com
www.publicsright2know.org
Why Do Drug Stores Promote Ill Health?
Drug stores are places sick people have to go to get their medication so why is it these places have the worst air quality around? A few years ago someone got the bright idea that these businesses that are supposed to promote good health should not be selling cancer causing cigarettes and immediately it became law here in Canada. I applaud that effort but it is really only the tip of the iceberg.
Cases of Asthma, COPD, RADS and other pulmonary illnesses are increasing rapidly and we all know people who suffer from these illnesses. Many of these folks have their symptoms exacerbated by the smell of strong chemicals like perfumes, scented candles, air fresheners etc. Cases of other Environmental Illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Gulf War Syndrome and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity are also on the rise. The one thing they all have in common is that they are all negatively affected by strong chemicals.
So why is it that perfumes, scented candles, air fresheners and other items that contain VOCs and carcinogenic chemicals that make people sick can be openly sold in drug stores? There is something wrong with this picture!
Sick people should be accommodated instead of being assaulted in the very places where they need go to get their medicines. When will the greed and insanity end? Why not ban perfumes, scented candles, air fresheners etc. from drug stores?
Bonita Poulin
Quadeville, Ont.
Canadian Coordinator
GLOBAL RECOGNITION CAMPAIGN
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
and other Chemically Induced Illnesses, Diseases & Injury
affecting civilians and military personnel
www.mcs-global.org
More coordinators needed!