I’m writing this letter in support of Meg Stewart’s letter last week. I also suffer from chemical sensitivities and perfumes are of particular concern to me.
For asthmatics like myself, scented products can be a trigger which constricts airways and makes breathing difficult.
Asthma attacks can become life threatening if not treated properly and I have been rushed to the ER in the past from a severe asthma attack triggered by perfume.
I need to carry an inhaler with me at all times and like Meg, an evening out to the theater or a trip to the grocery store can leave me feeling sick for days afterwards.
Marketing ploys have made us think we need to perfume everything around us from spraying Febreeze on our furniture, to hanging scented trees in our cars, to dousing our bodies with personal care products to makes us attractive.
What many people don’t know is that the scented products that you are using may contain any number of toxic ingredients.
In Canada, there are no restrictions on the chemicals used in fragrances in shampoos, conditioners, body wash, cosmetics, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and so on.
A recent report found that fragrances contained over 100 toxic chemicals including carcinogenic, neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
These are all lumped into the category of “parfum” on the ingredient list and do not need to be disclosed.
If you are interested in reading more on this topic there is some good information here davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/fragrance-and-parfum/.
People like myself are like the canaries in the coal mines. We react to these nasty substances which are not good for any of us.
You may not react with immediate symptoms, but you may get more serious health issues down the road that 20 years from now will be linked to the scented products sold on the shelves today.
Nelson is a wonderful place to live, and one of the cleanest and greenest communities in Canada. I have to believe that most people continue to use these toxic substances because they don’t know, not because they don’t care.
M.J. Jojic
Nelson