Should Schools be Scent Free?

Okay, so here's an issue that's been floating around for a while now, and that's whether or not schools should be scent free. Now, if you're wondering what I mean by scent free, I'm referring to the debate of whether or not perfumes, colognes, body sprays or any other fragranced personal care items, should be banned from schools.

In the workplace or learning environment, fragrances have been proven to negatively affect people’s studies and work. Not to mention, they can be irritants to any individual, and dangerous to those with such things as asthma, respiratory problems, and poor immune systems. It’s not uncommon for people who have been over exposed to fragrances to experience symptoms such as; dizziness, headaches, nausea, stuffy nose, or tightness of the chest. Just imagine how many chemicals you’re ingesting on a daily basis.

Sure, we all want to smell nice, and of course we don’t want to smell like BO, but I mean please put the bottle down. There’s a limit to everything. People can only take so much. If I can smell you down the hallway, there’s an issue. In fact, I should only be able to smell you if I were right next to you. Scented products are meant to be subtle and non-intrusive, not overwhelming and nauseating. If you’re a scent abuser, take this as a hint, and limit the amount that you’re applying on a daily basis. You want to smell fresh, but you definitely don’t want to be causing the people around you to feel as though their about to be sick. It’s understandable when you’ve used the same fragrance for a long period of time, that you become accustomed to the smell and oblivious to the amount that you’re actually applying, but remember, and take into consideration the people around you.

Have you ever suffered symptoms from someone’s use of fragrances? Are you guilty of abusing your perfume or cologne? Do you feel policies ensuring scent-free environments should be emplaced in order to promote better air quality in your workplace or learning environment? Let me know what you think on the matter. Share your opinion.