Despite MUN’s encouragement, those allergic to fragrances still at risk
By Kenny Sharpe

Thanks to the fear of allergies, peanut butter sandwiches and latex balloons are a high risk in public, but what about your favorite perfume or cologne? Could the spray cosmetic really cause someone to have a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction? The answer is yes.

A female student, who wishes to remain anonymous, stopped by the Muse office last week and indicated that she was sick of people not adhering to the University’s scent-free policy, claiming that she had felt dizzy and almost passed out thanks to a fellow student’s perfume.

MUN has no official, written scent-free policy, but since 2006 the University has greatly encouraged people not to wear scented products on campus. This is in keeping with a 2001 report initiated by the University’s Wellness and Active Living Advisory Committee, which indicated that at the time that four per cent of MUN employees suffered from severe allergies to chemical compounds, like those found in various fragrances.

The policy is implemented through posters and awareness campaigns. The MUN Health Sciences does enforce a scent-free policy.

Dr. Wyatt Jennings, an allergen specialist in the city, said that those people with sensitivities to fragrances are just as affected by their smell as others are to other common allergens, like peanuts and latex.

“People are not allergic to the actual smell itself, but instead the chemical compounds that make up the fragrance … which could contain hundreds of various chemical compounds, some of which your body sees as unsafe, thus the reaction,” he said.

“Those affected by allergens to strong scents live the same cautious lifestyle as those who are allergic to shellfish, egg, or peanut butter,” he added. “They still need to exercise caution, and still need to resort to inhalers or Epi-pens should something trigger a reaction.”

According to Webmd.com, those with chemical scent allergies are prone to everything from migraines, and skin and eye irritation, to dizziness and respiratory problems, should something trigger an allergic attack.

In a recent, non-scientific survey conducted by the Muse, 24 out of 50 randomly selected students indicated that they wore perfume or cologne on a regular basis – a smelly 48 per cent.

Joey Lockard is one of over half of those surveyed who said that they no longer wear cologne or perfume while on campus.

“I was never a real fan of smelling great; it’s bad enough we need to put effort into looking good, let alone smelling good,” said Lockard.

“To be honest, I never really knew about allergies to scents, however I looked into it further when [MUN] implemented their scent-free policy and I started to be more cautious as to when I would wear cologne,” he said. “Since then I have completely stopped wearing cologne, mainly in respect to those [who are] allergic.”

Lockard went on to say that he thinks people are still wearing fragrances despite the danger it poses to those with sensitivities, simply because it appears to be trivial.

“Being allergic to certain foods is easier to relate [to] and comprehend because we actually ingest it,” he said. “I know that the scent enters through the nose or other openings and thus triggers a reaction, but for some reason we think that just because we are spraying our body we are doing no harm.”

Although Lockard may be scent wary himself, he stresses that students who do wear fragrances just need to be reminded more frequently that they should lay off the spray at school.

“Next time you’re in an elevator or wherever and you smell someone’s perfume just let them know what people could die from it,” he said. “Even if you’re not allergic yourself, respect those who are and inform these people who are actually putting people’s well-being in danger.”




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