O/T Councillors vote to educate public on perils of perfume

June 2, 2006

Thu Jun 01, 04:50 PM EST

Ottawa councillors voted Thursday to start a public education campaign to

get people to voluntarily stop wearing scented products, but stopped short

of calling for a scents ban.

A citizens' committee on the environment submitted a proposal that the city

phase in a bylaw banning people from wearing perfumes and scented products

such as deodorants and soaps.

The proposal suggested starting with a public education campaign, then

following with a scents ban in city buildings and later a citywide ban.

Councillors agreed Thursday to a public awareness campaign in city-owned

buildings to encourage people to stop wearing scents.

They plan to review the effectiveness of the campaign in 2010 before looking

at the committee's recommendations for a scents ban.

In the proposal, the environment committee argued that people have the right

to breathe clean, fragrance-free air in the workplace.

But some councillors questioned whether the city should be spending money on

campaigns about perfumes instead of focusing resources on other public

health issues that might affect more of the population.

" But instead we're looking at whether somebody by 2010 will be allowed to

wear deodorant or perfume. Just bizarre, " said Coun. Rick Chiarelli, who was

one of two councillors opposed to the education campaign.

Serge Morin of Environmental Advisory Committee, who presented in favour of

the motion, conceded there are larger issues for the city to deal with, but

that people are increasingly becoming sensitive to chemicals found in

scented products.

Several places across Canada have implemented public awareness campaigns

urging people to not wear fragrances to help reduce illness and discomfort

by those with scent allergies or asthma.

The City of Halifax began such a program in 1996.

Others with similar programs include the universities of Toronto and

Calgary, the Kingston General Hospital and several federal buildings in the

Ottawa-Gatineau region.

This is from .ca

Carol

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