Fragrance-free policies

The quality of life experienced by people with MCS is shaped, to a great extent, by the level of awareness of environmental health issues where they live and work. Some are recipients of workplace accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act others are harassed and ostracized at work, or fired from their jobs. Some disabled by chemical exposures in the workplace receive workers compensation the majority of chemical-illness claims are denied. Some cities, schools and other institutions have adopted fragrance-free policies and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs to reduce chemical barriers and dangers in public places others still resist despite all the prevalence studies and research indicating that MCS is a serious threat to public health. 

Elizabeth s ability to live well with MCS can be attributed in part to a supportive husband and an employer willing to make accommodations in her workplace. Since I interviewed her, a fragrance-free policy was adopted in her workplace, and environmental health issues have been considered in the planning of renovations in her department. 

I ve found that if I bring in coffee beans, put them in a little cup, and snort it, I can clear my sinuses and nasal passages. I also carry lavender with me because lavender clears the air. If there s a smell that s hard for me, I smell the coffee beans or put a little lavender on my temples to try to change the air. And I tell people that we have a fragrance-free policy. 

Most people are really understanding. They say, Oh, I m sorry I didn t know. But my former boss, of all people, came in wearing perfume from time to time. One day I said, I want to tell you something, but I don t want you to get upset. I need to let you know that I m very allergic to perfume, and it s hard for me to work because perfume makes my heart palpitate and I feel dizzy. It hurt me because she knows me really well, and knows I m chemically sensitive, and we had a fragrance-free policy there. 

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