People who continue to wear perfume when they know it makes someone physically ill, are selfish. Period. My co-worker and I have discussed people's allergies to perfume (including mine), yet, she continues to pour it on - and we are "friends"? I agree with the other commenter here who said that since it's someone's "right" to wear perfume, it will be our "right" to FART all day long in their presence and not take regular showers. Wonder how long it would take for these selfish imps to change their minds and respect others' health needs?!

you mouth off about it's your problem smelling perfume's let me try dog shi- on my shoe at your work all day or poison acid's same deal to us we did not ask to be this way. this has destroyed my life and family's life being allergic to smell's stick your nose in fingernail polish one hour and call us back.see the result's.sorry but i am sick of non smeller's attitude.the more i say the worse people get.ps i quit smoking for myself and you.

I wish people who wear perfume would learn how to wear it. It is not to applied so heavily that your scent lingers long after you are gone. I am highly sensitive to the chemicals used in perfumes and I find people who wear perfume to be insensitive to those of use who become deathly ill from it. We are not commented on the WAY you smell but that the chemicals cause us to be sick. I wish that all the people with "perfume attitudes" would get as sick as we do and then you would understand.
Wearing perfume is an OPTION, breathing isn't. We HAVE to breathe!

I believe that anyone should be able to wear whatever they wanted to wear on them, reason is not only in the work place , but if you go to a resturant are you going to tell the person seating next to you that they can not wear that perfume or even seat next to you, or in the store are you going to tell them to get out of the line because you can not stand the perfume or hair productes that they have on , or even in the hair salon i can not get my hair done because the chemicals in here are to strong, i really feel like you all are being selfish over that matter , basicly you are asking someone just use soap and nothing else, I'm going threw the same thing here at my job and it make me very pissed off.I would like to know what you smell like and what your house smell like or what do you use

Hi
I am in Michigan. I have fragrance induced asthma. I work for a public school and this is where I first came down with this. I worked with a lady who wore "baby oil perfume". When I first could not breath, I went to my boss who told me to talk to her about it. I went to the ER 4 times not able to breath, with 4 notes from doctors saying I needed a fragrance free work place. This lady told me that she would not stop and she filed a grevince against me for race discrimation. I was told that I had to go the work doctor. I did and now 4 years later I am still having trouble with them. I will be working in a High School and I told them my concern and was told "We will not ask students or staff not to were perfume". My Asthma attaches get worse every time, this scares the sh** out of me.

Hello :
Very interested in reading this. Myself I am very sensitive to perfumes here at work. I get so nauseated and dizzy and suffer from in-balance, vertigo anyway. I go home so often because I think I will pass out. this needs to be made a law, I find it inconsidered and so harmful. Sometimes I wonder how I will get through the day.
I have said something but nothing is really done.
I am afraid to say anything else because I need this job.
Sincerely, E. V.

I think fragerance wearing individuals need a new perspective. They seem to view the plee for fragrance free environments as an attack on their personal preferences. When in actuallity is is only a request for a stable living enviroment for those with allergies to breath in. People without allergies take this for granted. Scents and fragrances come and go by them with out affect.

Imagine this your sitting outside enjoying your lunch and a construction crew next door begins painting and the toxic fumes are excessively bad. You begin to get a headache, your eyes water and you have trouble breathing in air.

This is how a person with allergies feels every time they come in contact with the fragrance they are allergic to. Sometime there symptoms are worse. They may have asthma attacks, breathting problems, nausea, dizziness, etc. It could be any number of things.

Also for the record those with allergies from my experience feel bad that they have them. They don't feel good about having to ask others to stop wearing or using fragrances, they just need to because they can't live with it. They are not asking you to limit your use as a punishment they are asking as a favor. It is not easy for them to be publicly ridiculed because of a medical problem. Please keep this in mind.

I personally do not have such allergies but my best friend does. She is treated very poorly and people think she is doing it for attention or faking it. She is not. The allergy is real. She spends a lot of time leaving work and in the emergency room because of incensitve fragrence uses in her office. It is easy to judge and blow these people off but it is also discourteous and cruel.

My only point here is every one deserves to enjoy life equally. If you are going to wear perfumes please don't bathe in them. Wear them lightly. Try non-scented products at work and scent in the evenings if you must. But please be sensitve to other needs besides your own. The allergy is real.

Mary, you need to think about what you say. I have severe allergies to perfume, and it's not my problem or yours. You wouldn't want me to smoke cigars all day at work around you would you? How about fart all day. That's pretty natural. Think about it.

I developed an allergy to perfume and scents about 8 years ago. You have read all the testimonials, and I will not bore you with my symptoms. I think people are afraid of change and the unknown. This is a relatively new problem, so people don't understand it, and may believe that we are exaggerating. I am really worried about our environment, our school and other public places. I know children who have the same sensitivites. I also know that some schools in Nova Scotia, Canada have become fragrance free. We should start by eliminating the most offensive scents like Axe. I am a healthy, young person. I just become ill from scents. Best wishes to the woman filing the law suit.

Hello everyone,

I am here to comment to the woman who is offended by being asked about here scent. I am horribly sensitive to fragrances and I suffer daily from those who wear more than average amounts. Here is what I have noticed about these people. They can’t smell themselves. Guess what, smokers don’t think they stink either. If I am eating a meal, I find it as just as rude to wear large amounts of a scented product as it would be if you smoked a cigar. In a work environment we have rules regarding proper dress and conduct. Roughly ten to fifteen percent are sensitive to fragrances. One to two percent of all people are very sensitive. If we have wheelchair ramps and accommodate the blind, why is it such a stretch to be considerate of those around you in regard to fragrance? All we want to do is work, just like you, without migraines, nausea, blurry vision, etc. The next time you have the flu or a bug, think about us. That is how you make us feel. The more we are exposed; the worse it becomes. People like us are on the rise, because of people who don’t understand or care. We don’t want to inconvenience anyone. We just want to work and go about our lives. Lastly, from a man’s standpoint, clean is better than heavily scented any day.

You have no idea what you are talking about!
I can't be around people 8 hours a day breathing their stinking frangrance. A few hours is one thing, i only get a headache, but 8 hours of it and I'm in the E.R.
How about if I blow cigarette smoke in your face for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? Want to trade?

Here I am, alergic to strong perfumes, and I was going to write an article regarding this subject when I stumbled across this page. I have it easy compared to many of the women who wrote how perfume affects them. And I simply cannot relate to the women who are so selfish that they cannot understand how wearing horribly strong, nasty smelling perfume, can make someone very sick and they simply don't care!! How could you not care if you were making someone sick? All workplaces should be fragrence free as well as any public space where many people assemble. And my big gripe, airplanes.......I was on a 7 hour flight once with a woman sitting behind me who reeked of a perfume surely meant for a night-time bar. It was hell! I spent half the flight in the restroom throwing up and the reminder of the time being so sick to my stomach with a horrible headache. I finally got to nerve to question the woman, who actually denied she was the one wearing perfume! I told her one could smell her in the whole plane....she just looked at me with the deer-in-the-headlight stare. I think all that perfume pickeled her brains...we must all band togeather and get some kind of laws in place....how crazy this is allowed to go on.

I have read all the post. I just have one question because I work in a office that's perfume free. I'm OK with that, but today I was asked if I was wearing perfume, I had on natural oils from wearing the shirt last weekend and did not think about it. Then I was asked about my deodorant and my haircare product and lotions that I use. This started to piss me off because I'm not going to change everything I use to please someone else. I'm not a self serving person, but that is like telling someone "they can not eat in the lunch room with everyone else because the food they warm up or eat makes them sick" Yes, I have heard this before because the employee was from another country and their spices where different from what we are use to in America.

We as a nation can not go around trying to make this a fragrance free place, for a select few. How many companies would that effect? Do you really think that is going to happen? Nature puts off a natural fragrance, so are you going to say chop down all the trees or plants that have a fragrance to it? On post said it is not the fragrance but the chemicals... I have to disagree some people are sensitive to the fragrance as I have been told in my company which is a (health conscious and healthy food company)., this is their line of business. We are Eco friendly and chemical free company. There are several people who work with us that said they can not even tolerate natural oils.

So again I say where do we draw the line? How much can you police people and make them do what you want because it is better for you? I have tried chemical free deodorants and hair products and I get horrible results, they do not work and my body order smells worse than the deodorant and would make you sick from the stench of me wear deodorant that did not hold me. The other thing I wanted to mention (and yes I see both sides of this), is for the one that are calling allergies and handicap, you may want to look up the meaning of that and see if your state classifies you as a handicap person. Also, I wanted to know what do you guys do when you go to church, school, the movies, out to diner etc., do you ask them to get up and leave so you can breath?

If you really want to make a change go after the manufactures and not the individuals, but most of you do not have the guts, time or money to do that so you try to control what you think is in your power, and piss others off along the way. I say aim high so it will have a trickle down affect and we do not have people choosing sides, if they can make items that work and are fragrance free, chemical free I would be one of the first in line.

Have you ever thought about anitdepressents or antianxiety medication? I think we should all be inspected before leaving our homes. Someone might have put on scented deotorant!

I have worked in the same Mall over 17 years. Until a couple of years ago I have never had a problem. Bath and Body moved up a couple of doors from my store. I have been so ill lately from being assaulted by the fragrances and now the mall rental agent has put a "fragrance cart" on the opposite side of my store. Having to put up fans just to try and keep the concentration down is a job in itself. No one at the mall office seems to care about the air quality and they treat me like a kook. I would never wish this upon anyone; I feel like I am being poisoned every day after 8 - 12 hours of breathing this stuff in. Where is the compassion anymore? Are we all just about the all mighty dollar in this country? After reading about all the chemicals that go into all these fragrance products I believe people should be very concerned...but the response is how can something that smells pretty do any harm? Well, chemists can even make RAID smell pretty...and there is a reason why they don't! Help, somebody wake up and help us...I just want to work in my store peacefully as I always have and not feel like my job is jeopardized every day. And to the response of the person who said "personal fragrance"...it is not personal when you impose it upon others who do not choose to want to smell it. Nothing personal here.

When I interviewed for my last job, I told the president of the company and the boss I was allergic to fragrance. They abided by the request for people in the office not to wear fragrance to work.
An employee, who had been off on leave, returned in a very upset state because she could no longer wear her fragrance. She said she felt naked without it.
As time went on, things were fine. The office was fragrance free. Once in a while someone would "forget" as she claimed and come in smelling like a perfume factory. I stayed in the office, but suffered miserably.
My boss left his job for other employment. The new boss refused to enforce the fragrance free order. He said I needed to go get medicine for it.
I live in the great state of Tennessee. Now that I am working at home, I'm going to start fighting to change the laws and make Tennessee a fragrance free work place state.
Laws to protect us need to be enforced and changed!
Those of us with fragrance allergies, have just as much rights as those who don't want to be around tobacco smoke!
I hope Susan McBride becomes the leader in setting new laws...
YOU GO SUSAN!!

Note to the woman who comments earlier that people sensitive to perfumes should "get over it", or not work because of disability: This reminds me of the arguments put forth in the early 70s against laws banning drunk driving. People whined that it was their right to drink and that those trying to prevent them from driving were "infringing on their rights". I don't think many would view *that* as a "right" any more, given the public safety issue.

The woman wearing the offending perfume ideally should be polite and sensitive to the comfort of others. She should wear the perfume at home around her husband and quit subjecting others to the assault. Obviously she prefers being completely self centered, antisocial, and focused on her "rights", which escalates the whole matter into a public safety issue. If you are provoking a disability, it is *you* who should be removed from the work force, not the person whose health is being assaulted. There's a People with Disabilities Act to enforce this, too. Too bad we have to make laws to protect us from social jerks, when they could be avoided by politeness and concern for others.

5 years ago I would have never imagined what chemicals or toxic molds could do to one's health. We were poisoned by hidden molds and a deadly agent they produced called trichothecene. It's been used in biowarfare and killed thousands. MCS is recognized by American Disabilty Acts, SSA, EPA. After the poisoning and systemic infection, I developed chemical sensitivity. So many things that did not seem to bother me before can now debilitate me in minutes. We don't enjoy being this way as it's a horrible illness. Many drs. tell us it's not real. There's a story on Nightline now where ABC is trying to shut down a wonderful dr. who has treated over 30,000 in his career. There's many comments supporting him.
I have a song we wrote that tells how many of us feel when drs. ignore our cry for help. It's called Break The Mold and explains how victims have their lives consumed by this bizarre illness. You can also see photos of the injuries to us and neurological effects of being around small levels of something I react to.
There's also some good information posted. I talk to so many, even little children who are very ill from toxins. It's sad that some people feel it's just our problem and they are not going to change anything to help us. Break The Mold is at the bottom of my webpage.. Use it or post it anywhere you think it will help. (We're both fighting for our lives, as Grange Mutual left us to go without medical care and we had to abandon everything we had). A corrupt and uncaring example of greed taking priority over human suffering. God bless all of you who are affected like us.

Iris & Tlee
www.myspace.com/faceoftoxicmold
ontheair2@bellsouth.net

My coworker who sits 4 feet away from me refuses to stop wearing fragrances after a very polite request due to health issues. I can hardly breathe when fragrances are worn by people around me. She replied "You can't make me stop wearing my stuff". I told her I felt uncomfortable even making the request, nor would I if it weren't adversley affecting me. I brought this up to the Personnel Dept. and another rep who are not willing to help me. This woman's supervisor shrugged her shoulders when I brought the issue to her. I need help. What are my options without causing conflict?

I totally agree as I suffer from perfume/cologne allergies. People actually become offended and give you the cold shoulder when you tell them their perfume is making you sick. I sneeze, become short of breath, cough, chest becomes tight, get a lump in my throat and develop a severe headache from certain perfumes. I develop some of these symptoms every time I am exposed. Men in my officer appear to be the biggest offenders.

My story is the same as so many others. Over a period of years I became less and less able to tolerate scented products and chemical cleaners with VOCs. Or high-VOC paint, or other fumes. Many of the chemicals in room deodorizers and perfumes are known carcinogens and toxins. Dryer sheets, for instance, emit carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, according to an environmental engineer I know. Right now, a tenant in my apartment house, right below me in the building, is using a perfumed candle. He has been told of my condition and still smokes in his apartment. So I may be taking him to court. All that, just to able to breathe.

Unfortunately, the effects of these chemicals don't stop with asthma, or rashes, or fatigue, or migraines. After a certain point, they disrupt the heme cycle of the blood, disrupt the enzymes in the pancreas and liver. See "Defining Multliple Chemical Sensitivity" edited by Bonnye Matthews, McFarland and Co., 1998.

Your Personal Fragrance is no longer Personal.

I hate to be the one to have to tell you this BUT.... your "personal fragrance" is no longer personal. Your "NOT so personal fragrance" literally took my breath away. I had to leave the waiting area of the doctors office while my throat was closing up and get to the emeergency room because your "not so personal fragrance" caused me to have an Anaphylactic reaction.

I waited 2 months for that doctors appointment not to mention that now I will have to pay for the Emergency Room visit which was over $2,200 for services and medication.

Not everyone thinks you smell as good as you think you do. Not everyone wants to smell your perfume, cologne, aftershave or fragranced lotion. Nobody wants to sit close to you in your office, a waiting room, the doctors office, real estate office or even next to you in a restaurant, classroom, bank or check out line.

Not everyone, especially those who are already suffering with Cancer, Migraines, COPD, Asthma, Allergies, Fibromyalgia, MCS, or other illnesses can stand the smell of your perfume. We are already struggling just to breathe, we don't want to smell your "NOT so personal fragrance."

You don't smell good... you literally stink and you make me and a lot of other people sick!

Make the Connection ---- Did you know that there are MANY people right here in YOUR community that have severe adverse Fragrance / Chemical reactions? Some have it so severe that they can not leave their home or be part of society in a "normal" way. Some children have to be home-schooled. Just a whiff of fragrance, Bounce, Plug-Ins, or diesel fumes could cause a life threatening Anaphylactic reaction.

This is called MCS or EI. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity or Environmental Illness. This IS NOT a simple allergy. There is no medication for it.

There is a lot of information about MCS/EI on the web. There are MANY other health problems associated with MCS /EI. More common ones are links between people with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Asthma, Gastrointestinal problems and more. Do you have any of these illnesses? If so, do you continue to put chemicals and fragrances on your body, hair and clothing. Learn what is in Bounce and I guarantee you will NEVER use it again. Learn what is in everything you put on your skin (skin, is the largest organ of your body) and whatever you put on your skin absorbs into your blood. http://www.bodyburden.org/

Many children as well as teachers are having difficulty even being in classrooms because they are full of the "chemical fragrance soup." Many office workers can no longer hold down their jobs because they have become so ill from fresh paint or new carpet being installed not to mention insensitive
co-workers who insist on marinating in their perfume and fragranced products.

If you or someone you know is more than "inconvenienced" by fragrances and/or everyday cleaning products and chemicals you may want to do some homework on MCS. You will find lots of information and educational material just incase you need to enlighten a friend, co-worker, teacher, loved one or even YOUR DOCTOR who might be telling you "it is all in your head."

I believe people could be a little more sensitive to others suffering. Chemical sensitivities is a real disease and extremely difficult to live with. I can say I suffer greatly. It is more irritating than cigarette smoke. The chemicals will eventually effect everyone ,and one day the people who don't care will be affected, and then they will understand. I wish some of you could be a little more compassionate. You will not understand until one day a disease comes to your door and then you will. So you are blessed to not have a problem. If you have ever had a cold , imagine it won't go away and the person affecting you doesn't care. Vicki

I very much believe that this woman gets so ill that she has to leave the workplace. But when does her disability infringe on the rights of others? Who can rightfully determine how much scent is too much? This is indeed a disability, and should be treated like mental disabilities that prevent some people from social interaction. People who are so extremely shy that they cannot be around others at all must stay home and either work from there or claim disability. I think the same of this, if you cannot handle normal scents then you should not be around people...how could you even function outside of the office? People are going to wear lotion and perfume, and it is THEIR RIGHT to do so. Wear a mask or don't go out in public, it is not the rest of the world's responsibility to accomodate to extreme illnesses such as this.

I am in the same boat. My co-workers are very understanding but I recently lost a special accomodation appeal. I work at what was previously call the Public Aid office. I am a caseworker and at the office that I work at the Spanish speaking caseworkers relieve the front desk worker for lunch and breaks, and cover the worker is out for 1/2 a day. I covered a few times but clients will come to the front desk and will be wearing so much perfume that I had to leave the area. My eyes will swell up, I had problems breathing, rash on my face and throat will feel like acid went down. I will have headaches that will last days. I will run to the doctor and get steroid and benadryl shots and have to be off from work for days. I worked the front desk on thursday last week and on tuesday they had me making copies, I wore a mask and a suit that cover most of my body. I still had some areas on my face open and I had a rash on my face,my throat and my ears were hurting I had to take about 8 benadryls, 2 sudafed 12 hours and three vicodins 500 mg just to calm the pain and the disconfort down. I been taking about eight benadryls per day and one vicodin and one sudafed just to keep going so i can finish the work week. The director insists that I have to help with the front desk even though they have 17 other workers that speak spanish and i have to stay in the rotation. Its bad enought that i have celiac disease and i have to be really carefull with what I eat, anything with wheat just sends me into incontrolable pain and swelling. I was tested for allergies and came out positive for 250 items. I am also allergic to wool,angora and cashmere and its so bad that just being in the room with someone wearing it makes me swell up. It's so ironic that I am able to control almost everything in my personal live. I buy all organic foods and meats, i am sensitive to antibiotics and pestices. all green detergents and fragrance free body wash. I have a food bill of about $450.oo per month just for me. But I can not get the Director at work to take off the schedule to minimize exposure. I have an office on the second floor of the building out of all the employees way.

I really hope the lady wins her suit. I spent years virtually housebound due to all the scents and perfumes people (literally) pour over themselves. I was diagnosed with MCS, allergies, asthma - and yes, it was even difficult to go to the hospital due to the hospital employees wearing fragrance. To make a long story short, I eventually ended up on a prescription called Itraconazole, also known as sporanax (an antifungal) and have been 90% arthritis-free, 90% allergy-free and 100% asthma-free for over a year now. I no longer have difficulties being around perfumes or fragrances, although I still don't like them (does anyone really think they smell nice with their herbal shampoos, spring-fresh scented clothing, and skunk oil perfumes all mixed together?). But I don't think that I am the only one who can get better by going on Itraconazole and it may be worth your time in checking with your doctor. By the way, they were never able to determine what systemic mycoses I have, never able to grow a culture. But they did determine that the Itraconazole works.

Just the same, I hope the lady wins her suit; work-places (and especially medical facilities) should be fragrance-free.

My mother is in the same boat as most of you. She is highly sensitive to smells especially perfumes and colognes. Luckily most days her co workers actually bring in new scents for her to sniff before they wear them to work so as not to set her off into a barking/can't breath asthma state. However, the sad part is when her boss actually stated to my mother with her coworkers in front of her that they didn't need to selective with their perfumes because he would like to see my mother taken into the hospital not breathing. (Yes my mother is taking notes on how this law suit goes for possible action.)
We are surprised though that hospitals are not advising their employees not to wear strong scented lotions, perfumes etc. My mother once again was in the ER room with my grandfather and what happened?? The nurse came into the room to take care of my grandfather and the lotion she was wearing set my mother off into her can't breath situation. So not only do I have my grandfather in the ER with a broken hip but now I am trying to help my mother breathe. One male nurse even had on such strong cologne just by driving by him in the parking lot set my mother off. (And yes he was working the
ER that same night. We said to keep him away from our room.)

We give best wishes in your lawsuit.

Just a side note. If you get to the point of unable to breathe like my mother, see an acupuncturist for pressure points to relieve the lungs and it truely helps. Has helped save her.

I've dealt with this same issue for 6 years at my office. What I've learned in that time: 1) bullies aren't just under 18 years of age 2) some people truly don't care if their perfume/cologne makes you sick 3) if you wear a carbon filter mask to protect you're health they get offended?!? 4) forget about management protecting YOUR rights. Oh my, we don't want to offend the people making us sick - can't have that. Signed, sick and tired of being sick and tired from thoughtless others and their use of perfume and cologne.

There are alot of people out here with what people call an "Invisible Illness". This is known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Chemical Injury or Environmental Illness.

I suffer from this. I am disabled now, but when I did work (5 years ago) people at work thought I was crazy because I could not stand to be around cigarette smoke, perfume, cleaning chemicals, vehicle exhaust and gasoline. I was not always that way but over time more and more bothered me. I ended up quitting, it was easier to do that than to hear my boss say "I think your scratchy hoarse voice is sexy".

The horrible thing about this is if the person affected keeps getting exposed to these chemicals it will take less and less to make them sick, eventually making them totally intolerable to it, then making them more susceptible to other chemicals. The ONLY thing that can be done for this is avoidance.

Many states are making May "Chemical Injury/Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Month". You can go to : http://www.mcs-america.org/ and click on proclamations.

I am almost totally home bound (except for Dr. Appointments and an occasional ride to the store with my husband), it has taken my husband and I years to get our home chemical free. We have lost our friends and relatives do not come over because it is to hard not to wear perfumed products (this includes deodorants, shampoo, cream rinse, make-up lip gloss, clothes washed in perfumed detergents, softener and especially dryer sheets).

Also are YOU allergic to anything? Shellfish, peanuts, ragweed, dust, dogs, cats, pollen, if so what if everyone exposed YOU to it everyday?? See what I mean. We are not so different, it is just that our allergies are chemicals and they can be deadly. I personally get Migraines, nausea, blur reed vision, coughing so sever that I almost pass out, muscle pain, joint pain, cramping, sweats, memory loss, numbness in face and mouth, swelling, ringing in ears, extreme fatigue, unexplained fevers, night sweats, bitter metallic taste in mouth, gasping-for-breath, sinus infections, ear infections, and more.

So many people laugh and say we are crazy, but we are not, we have an illness that is affecting more and more people every day. Many of us were afflicted by MOLD exposure, some by crop spraying years ago (when I was little we would run out and watch the crop dusters in Central Indiana, not knowing how toxic and dangerous it was). Not to mention the mosquito spraying and DEET. This is all poisoning us.

Why isn't more being done about this? Why are more and more children diagnosed with Asthma every year? Can you spell L O B B I E S T S ? The Chemical companies are major contributors to Political Campaigns.

Last but not least, people think this ladies illness is a joke. WELL, you need to do some investigations!!!! Look up MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) CI (Chemical Injury or Chemical Illness), Gulf War Syndrome (chemical poisoning), TI (Toxic Injury), go to http://www.mcs-america.org/ check out this web site (no financial interest), it will give you more info than you will want!!

Sorry, I did not mean for this to run so long, but it is a subject that can not be discussed in a few words. Look at what is happening all over the world! Poisoning by chemicals!! Our Pet Food, Tooth Paste, Spinach, what will be next for you. For me the future is already here, I have already been poisoned by chemicals will YOU be next??

People who don't have MCS (Mult. Chemical Sensitivities) don't realize their lives could change in an instant as mine did.

The people I know who have this illness, developed it while they were just living their lives - normal people.

Ordinary - Normal People like these:

- a doctor and his wife who moved into their dream home while the wife was pregnant on twins but the A/C was installed badly and mold was blowing through the whole brand new system - she became chemically sensitive and the twins are developmentally delayed

- a family who had their home sprayed for termites

- an airport worker in a large U.S. airport who just had too much exposure to jet fuel fumes

- a couple who enjoyed sitting by the fire place in their Colorado home not realizing that the trees they were burning had been sprayed with pesticides

- the fellow who worked in a plastics manufacturing facility and came into work early one morning to find a fire had broken out in the plant

- the young adventurous girl who decided she wanted an unusual career path and went into the car detailing business with her boyfriend - naeively unaware of the dangers of the spray paint she used WITHOUT a respirator and the solvents she used to clean herself at the end of each day

- then there's the teacher whose desk in the staff room was situated very close to the Xerox Copier -- day after day she inhaled the ink fumes

- and the fellow who worked all his life in an aircraft hangar - in the accounting and purchasing office

- and the man who worked his entire life doing the work he loved as a Construction Contractor - construction trade materials have become more and more toxic over the years

Sadly, the list goes on. We each have our own story.

And all of us were living NORMAL lives as NORMAL people at the time we became sick. We were going to work, weeding our gardens, raising our children, petting our dogs, cleaning our garages, kissing our husband/wives good-bye in the morning -- we WERE... above all else... NORMAL.

If people like Bill O'Reilly could stop snickering at the problem of MCS long enough, maybe they could put their Intelligence and Investigative Talents to really good use -- by going to one of the Environmental Health Clinics scattered across the U.S. and seeing the volume of people there who are suffering every day with Multiple Chemical Sesitivities.

But I don't think that story will ever be told because - there is simply too much to lose for certain vested interests in America.

Allergies from scents are cumulative. First they are minor and the more you are exposed, the worse they get. The responses from coworkers are, "I just used a little" or "I don't wear anything" or "this looks like a racial issue". The retaliation from coworkers is a huge issue. If I ask them to stop, they very well may wear even more perfume. A couple of my coworkers not only wear it but spray it behind their desks and in their offices all day long. One coworker has been spraying my work area for the past 2 months. How do you prove that? Other people smell it but anyone with the authority to do something about this "can't smell a thing. ....It must be your imagination." Oh no it's not! Of course these coworkers don't have the opportunity to spend the evening with me while I cough the gunk out of my lungs that has been my body's last ditch effort to protect itself from these toxins. No one even cared when a coworker was rushed to the hospital grey and barely breathing (twice) because of the scents in her office. Needless to say, she has since gotten a different job. That is our option--get a different job.

Except that I'm tired of reading the comments calling this a frivolous lawsuit. It is not frivolous, it is very real.

Wearing perfume is frivolous.

Where I live, people wear perfume to cover up body odor. It's hot in TX and frankly, I'd rather smell your b.o.

Plus, the groceries here all have air freshener in them. I've had to become a hermit. There are so few places that I can go anymore.

I applaud Susan McBride. And I hope she is successful. It's about time this issue came out in the open!

I applaud the woman who is filing this lawsuit. I know that much thought went into this and she probably feels like she has been left with no other option. It would be wonderful if we could depend on the kindness of people but that just simply is not the case. (We would not have wheelchair accessibility if it were not for lawsuits.) I suffer from chemical sensitivities too, and quite severely. I am a public school teacher. My coworkers and students have been amazing. However, some parents have been very unsupportive of the issue and refuse to help in the accommodation. On two occasions I had a supervisor tell me, "I refuse to accommodate this." I cannot even begin to explain the agony I have suffered both physically and emotionally. Physically I average at least 12 migraines a month during the school year. I also experience muscle spasms and overall chronic pain due to chemical exposure. By the end of the work day I feel horrible. I cannot afford to quit my job and quite frankly who wants to hire a person who is “allergic” to perfumes… The emotional trauma has been crippling. I am a well educated working woman. I love my job and am good at what I do. I was once an energetic, outgoing person. Our home had a revolving door and basically anyone was welcome at our table. Now, I avoid crowds. I avoid most men because of the body sprays and new colognes. I avoid women that look “made up” in fear that perfume is a part of their regime. I do not go into department stores. I carefully select grocery stores. I shop when the crowds are low. I have my husband or children fill my truck with gas. I come inside when neighbors are operating their dryers because of dryer sheets and scented laundry products permeating the air. I quietly get up and leave church although most attendees of my church don’t wear fragranced products. My friends have completely “descented” themselves. I still long to be so involved in my community but know I can’t. It is so hard saying “no.” I am so misunderstood… I have become the dreaded high-maintenance woman and I hate it. I have missed so much work that I had to utilize the sick leave bank this past year. … due to perfumed products. We share the air.

I have patiently educated the staff I work with. However, it really isn’t enough. Policies need to be set in place to validate our needs. Wheelchair users do not have to carry hammers and lumber to build ramps yet we are expected to hold our breath and just tolerate… We are also expected to
"nicely" ask others to refrain from wearing the offending products. It's really like telling the kid that just got punched to "nicely" say "leave me alone." It is absolutely draining to beg for clean air when in so much pain. We desperately need others to advocate for us. We need to be accommodated. It is not too much to ask that people just be nice and refrain from fragrances. Chemical sensitivity is a physical condition NOT a psychological condition. The pain and suffering is very real.

I am a consumer & health educator and have learned so much. Fragranced products are protected by the federal trade commission. The word “fragrance” on a label can basically mean anything. Fragrances contain hundreds of chemicals combined and are not tested for safety. These proprietary blends are protected by the trade secret laws. Try calling a company or two. Ask if formaldehyde or benzene (just two of the common ingredients in cosmetic products) is in their product. You will be given a response declaring protection from the federal trade commission.

Many others need fragrance-free areas. 72% of asthmatics are fragrance sensitive. Some states report between 10 and 30% of their residents complain of sensitivities to fragrances. According to the EPA indoor air quality can be 100 times more toxic than outdoor air. Most of us spend most of our time indoors. Let’s establish some good clean air policies for everyone's benefit.

Fragrance chemicals hurt people. Fragrance-free does not. Fragrances are found in perfumes, lotions, laundry products, scented deodorants, household cleaners, air fresheners, body sprays, body washes, shampoos, other hair products, aftershaves, shaving lotions…. Many products are available in unscented. Be aware, however, that many “unscented” lotions contain masking fragrances that can be a problem for chemically sensitive people. It is my sincere hope that the personal care product industry would start supplying more fragrance-free products,especially hair products.

In closing, the world would be great if we could depend on everyone being selfless where disabilities are concerned. It is naive to believe that just asking coworkers to refrain from wearing scented products is enough. It just simply is not the case. Physical reactions to chemicals is a very real issue, even the chemicals in fragranced products. Reactions can range from mental confusion to anaphalaxis. Think about peanut allergies. It just takes one uncaring, unbelieving or unknowing person to injure or kill another.

Believe me when I say that individuals are bullying others with their fragrances, driving them from the workforce.

I work in a Public Library and belong to a union. Recently, I also had a triggering of an allergic reaction to roses that were delivered to the office followed by a certain scent worn by one individual. It turned out to be a body gel not perfume.
The union doesn't really help my situation. The coworker is allowed to wear whatever and I have been reassigned my tasks out to the most open area for my department. Things are much improved but the bullying I went through for over a month bordered on
harrassments charges. I was told by my grievence rep that most cases of such are hard to prove. Things have died down but there are a few people who still get in my space with their perfume loud and clear.
I don't dislike perfume it is just that I can't tolerate those heavy, heady scents anymore . My head and throat get a nasty reaction to it .
I have total empathy for the employee, Ms McBride, and can probably guess what she has been put through too.
Bullys do grow up to be adults and god help us have kids that continue the cycle.

I have the same problem; in fact I have a sinus headache right now from the perfume I am forced to breathe in everyday. I have to take medication and use a steroid-type nasal spray (prescribed, not over the counter) to decrease the swelling of the nasal passages so I can breathe. Some days it is hard to catch my breath and I am afraid it is going to go into Inhaled Irritant Asthma.
There are about 6 women, all wearing a different strong scents. I have asked my boss about it but am told.."you can't tell people not to wear perfume.." A couple of them spray themselves at their desk, which they have been told not to do. The restroom has an "air freshner" that is, some days, a very strong, cheap smelling odor.
I am very much on her on this woman's side. Most people don't understand that not everybody can breathe in the chemicals that are being manufactured; and a lot of them don't care.
Most doctors tell me that I can't be allergic to perfumes, but I am. They cause really bad sinus headaches which make me dizzy and nauseated. And it is not just perfumes, diesel fumes, gas fumes, paint fumes, etc.