Guest guest Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 For more information on the students' efforts, visithttp://www.myspace. com/neurotoxasso ciation- - - -Campus without scents?Stan State group wants fragrance-free policyBy MICHELLE HATFIELDmhatfield (AT) modbee (DOT) comOctober 02, 2007 03:56:30 AMhttp://www.modbee. com/local/ story/82202. htmlTURLOCK -- Tropical breeze, tangy citrus, sweet floral, woody musk, freshspice -- the beauty industry offers many ways for people to smell nice.But sometimes those who wear perfume, cologne, lotion, deodorant,after-shave and hair spray inadvertently cause headaches for others --literally.Because of that sensory overload, a group of about 20 students atCalifornia State University, Stanislaus, is hoping to institute afragrance-free policy on campus. They know some people think the idea issilly, but fragrances are akin to secondhand smoke from cigarettes, saidKristin Oosterkamp, a psychology senior."They're both so volatile, and both you have to breathe in if you are inclose range," she said.Others need convincing. Stanislaus State student body President AndrewJanz said he hasn't encountered much support from students for acampuswide fragrance-free policy. Dr. Wallace Carroll said sensitivity toaromas varies and that a policy would be hard to enforce."One person's cologne is another person's poison," said Carroll, a Modestodoctor who has specialized in allergy and immunology for 27 years.Colleges with fragrance-free policies include Portland State University,Cecil College in Maryland and Canada's University of Calgary.Beyond classrooms and libraries, the fragrance issue is a sensitivesubject in offices, with etiquette gurus such as advice columnist PeterPost shelling out suggestions on how to deal with strong body odors orfragrances. Kaiser Permanente insti- tuted a program in the 1990s thatdiscourages employees from wearing scents.People who douse themselves in products are usually smelled before they'reseen, but people can suffer bad reactions even when exposed to lightscents.Scientists are paying attention to that condition, called MultipleChemical Sensitivity. Since symptoms such as nausea, dizziness andheadaches are common with other ailments, MCS is hard to diagnose. It cancause asthma and severe reactions, experts say.The close quarters of classrooms probably intensify the manifestations,with 30 or 40 students stuffed into small rooms, some with no windows tocirculate air, said Emily Mall, a psychology senior. Headaches and nauseacan make it hard, even impossible, to concentrate and learn, Oosterkampand Mall said.Oosterkamp has a classmate who gets headaches nearly every day fromexposure to others' hair spray. Mall would sometimes get migraines,thinking at first that her brain was getting full from all the informationshe was learning in classes. After trying to avoid fragrances, Mall saidshe's noticed the pains dissipate.Many health professionals deny MCS exists, contending the condition ispsychosomatic. Officials with the Cos- metic, Toiletry and FragranceAssociation say its unfair to declare a public health threat for productsthat are "safe and regulated."Most anti-fragrance efforts are small and on a grass-roots level, butstudies in the 1990s by the health departments in California and NewMexico suggest more people have MCS than diabetes -- 15 percent comparedwith 6 percent, Mall said. The federal Equal Employment OpportunityCommission created a category to chart workplace complaints related toMCS, which is considered a disability under the Americans withDisabilities Act."People have the freedom to wear perfume, but people also have the rightto not be exposed to these chemicals," Oosterkamp said. "We accommodatefor wheelchairs; why not accommodate for people experiencing MCS?"But other groups, such as the American and California medicalassociations, do not recognize MCS as a disease.Oosterkamp and Mall have teamed up with psychology professor Dawn Stronginto form a club, the Neurotoxicology Association. They're focusing oneducating the campus about MCS, with the hope of getting a formal policyinsti- tuted. When they chat with students, Mall, Oosterkamp and Stronginsaid, most are receptive."The more people know, the more they'll be willing to accommodate others,"Mall said.Strongin prohibits students from coming to class with fragrances, statingso in her class syllabus."It was akin to asking people to come to school in a tarp," she said."However, no one wishes to consciously harm others' health."When Stanislaus State student body senators heard about the effort inSeptember, they chuckled at the idea, but Janz urged them to have an openmind when the issue is presented to the board.After talking to students on campus, though, Janz, a public policymaster's student, encountered a strong whiff of opposition."Such a policy goes way beyond the scope of what a university can telltheir students what they can and cannot do," he said.For more information on the students' efforts, visithttp://www.myspace. com/neurotoxasso ciationBee staff writer Michelle Hatfield can be reached at mhatfield (AT) modbee (DOT) comor 578-2339. 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