When DuPont coined the slogan "Better Living ... Through Chemistry" in 1935, who could have imagined citrus-scented children's socks?
Now, a debate is wafting about as to whether fragrance enhances our lives or exacerbates health problems. A bill before the Minnesota Legislature calls for a pilot project in Minneapolis public schools to educate people about the potentially harmful effects of fragrance products on sensitive people
— from Fragrance debate: A matter of scents and sensibility? (link no longer working, sorry!) in today's Star Tribune.
Next celebrity perfume? Nicole Richie says she has one in the works (another dead link!), as has been rumored for some time.
It is easy to pinpoint scent, because it is noticeably detectible. And it is true that the major culprits are not in perfume, but in things like laundry detergent, cleansers, etc, which contain a lot of large molecule musk type scenting agents, which (over time) have a residual effect on everything from marine life to humans..
To get a better idea of how synthetic elements may be contributing to illness, asthma etc. It is important to also include such things as, man made fabrics and dyes, used in clothing, that is worn next to the skin. Our skin can absorb these dyes and polymers. I am probably more at risk by wearing my trusty olive drab crocs, than I am from wearing perfume. Also a huge factor, that is not mentioned so often (possibly a great lobby to keep it quiet) is the use of synthetic flavorings and colorings in foods. Think about it, kids are exposed to a ton of artificial flavorings, in everything from juice drinks to cheese puffs. And in this country (if you pay attention to the obesity stats. in kids), they are eating more junk than real food. Heck, I would be surprised if they didn’t get sick. Wellness should be approached from a balanced perspective. To target one thing and go after it, neglecting other, possibly more harmful elements, doesn’t really help anyone.
Just my two cents. ZZ
I did not read enough about the proposal to know what approach they are taking, or if they are really only targeting perfume and not other scented goods — but would agree with everything else you said, and it strikes me as an odd use of public funds.