BURLINGTON WEATHER

Breathing Safely – a Basic Human Right Violated

They’re everywhere! Dangling from rearview mirrors on our ride service, emitted by devices in public bathrooms, department stores, businesses, airports, airplanes, and even schools. They invade our airspace through ventilation ducts – going straight into our lungs and pores, making us absorbers of toxic substances, with no informed consent. What are they? So-called “air-fresheners” – but actually air polluters! We all need to know about them, as they are not regulated by any government agency.

Harms of Fragranced Chemicals

These air-fresheners contain thousands of unregulated fragranced chemicals, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and hormone disruptors. They harm everyone, not only those with chemical sensitivity, asthma, respiratory illnesses, migraines, or compromised immunity: Adverse effects from them are reported by 20% of the population, while 34.7% suffer from fragrances emitted by other people by virtue of the harmful chemicals present in their personal-care, cleaning, and laundry products. These chemicals are intolerable for many, and completely bar access to public spaces for some. Reactions include respiratory distress, chest pain, cardiac arrhythmia, ear, nose, and throat irritation, burning eyes, severe headache, cognitive dysfunction, and anaphylaxis.

Some individuals develop medical conditions called TILT or MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, an illness with no remedy except avoidance – a difficult task in a fragrance-saturated society. Those with severe symptoms are unable to hold jobs, access stores, restaurants, and hotels, or visit others’ homes.

Chemical sensitivity is acquired by cumulative effects of exposure, with no known tipping point. Thus, your neighbor’s illness today could be yours tomorrow. Indeed, this past decade has witnessed a 300% increase in the number of individuals affected.

Institutional Concerns

Medical research corroborates the increasing prevalence of fragrance harms. Secondhand fragrance is the new secondhand smoke.

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The American Medical Association, in its 2025 Fragrance Regulation, recognizes that fragrance exposures have “potential to substantially limit major life activities;” this consistent with the ADA definition of disability and underscores that fragrance harm can be disabling.

Call to Action

What is needed is a societal shift of bias away from fragranced chemicals and toward fragrance-free consumer products and public spaces.

Given the upsurge in individuals sickened by fragranced chemicals, we must make serious decisions. Will we choose the healthier choice or join the ranks of the chemically injured (MACI), who suffer from ever-present fragrances (see poem) and live in self-isolation, unable to enter public venues due to their invisible disability.

The choice is ours, as individuals and as a society.

Ruth Rin
Burlington resident

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