Barb Wilkie's EHN Website
Last updated 2008

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE & HEALTH CARE FACILITIES YOU WISH TO.

THIS LETTER CAN ALSO BE USED IN NEWSLETTERS AND POSTED ON YOUR WEBSITES FOR OTHERS TO EDIT TO THEIR OWN LOCALE TO PRINT AND MAIL IF NECESSARY.

CONTINUE THE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION OF MCS!
-- Kathleen Houghton

Dear _______________________:

The escalating "personal" use of fragrance products is ubiquitous and an invasive and harmful intrusion into common air space, causing debilitating and life-threatening health reactions, such as asthma, acute respiratory distress, migraine headaches, neurologic injury, birth defects and cancer, to millions of adults and children.

The federal government has not taken any initiative to inform the public about the dangers of inhaling fragrance chemicals (other than huffing). This despite its own evidence, studies and chemical analyses, which undeniably indicate that these chemicals are, indeed, toxic. {Fragrances] do cause bodily harm and are a major contributor to poor indoor air quality, which has currently been rated at an all-time low. No safety testing on inhalation of these fragrance chemicals has ever been performed by the fragrance industry.

At last count in 1996, there were at least 40 million chemically injured people in the United States. These are people from all walks of life and who once had lucrative careers: Air Force pilots, teachers, professors, doctors, nurses, psychologists, chemists, government workers, and legal secretaries, among many other people, including students.

Perfume is composed of many of the same toxic chemicals found in the EPA's hazardous waste lists: acetone, toulene, and ethanol, among others. Other extremely poisonous substances found in fragrances are musk ambrette, musk xylene, and musk ketone.

Tobacco smoke has been banned from most public buildings, yet the indoor air quality has never been poorer in American history. It appears that smoke has been replaced with something worse: synthetic fragrances.

In April 1999, gas chromatography studies performed on Calvin Klein's Eternity eau de parfume, by two different laboratories, on two different samples (sent in their original packaging) indicates that Eternity contains 41 harmful chemicals.

Two were listed as respiratory sensitizers. At least five have the potential for central nervous system disorders. At least two are suspected carcinogens. One may provoke fetal effects. Virtually all ingredients are general irritants

To view the chemical analysis of Eternity, please read: http://www.ehnca.org/www/FDApetition/analysis.htm . The FDA has failed to make a decision, if any, regarding this petition.

[EHN's FDA petition, 99P-1340 asks that the FDA require its warning on labels of fragrances released to market without substantiation of safety. That public alert would read: "WARNING: The safety of this product has not been determined."

See "FDA Authority Over Cosmetics," which has been updated. The FDA now spells it out clearly for one and all:

 

... a cosmetic is adulterated if --

• "it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to users under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling thereof, or under conditions of use as are customary and usual"...

  . . . and . . .

   

• "its container is composed, in whole or in part, or any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render the contents injurious to health"; ...
  http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html.]

   

Looking for more information about toxins in fragrances? Check out: "The Acute Toxic Effects of Fragrance Products," conducted by Anderson Laboratories, an article written by Michael M. Segal MD, PhD. of Harvard Medical School. A Press Release issued by the Cancer Prevention Coalition, and an article printed in the January-February issue of "The Environmental Magazine" explains how perfumes evolved to this dangerous level.

Also, please explore this very informative web site for information on health effects of fragrances: [Fragranced Products Information Network -- http://www.fpinva.org -- by Betty Bridges, RN. ] This site explains much more than I could write in a brief letter.

PERFUME POLLUTES! Do your part to help others breathe clean, fresh air - avoid using fragrances!!

(For more info: http://www.ourlittleplace.com/perfume.html )

Promoting a healthy environment for ALL patients should be your priority!

Most Sincerely,

Kathleen Houghton Dir.
Alaska CFIDS/MCS Association

 

 
See:

• "Despair and Frustration Reality for Sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"
  by Kathleen Houghton
  http://wwcoco.com/cfids/kathleenak.html

   

• The Thief of Many Lives
  by Kathleen Houghton
  http://wwcoco.com/cfids/kathleenthief.html

   

Note: EHN thanks Kathleen Houghton for sharing her letter. I've edited it only slightly to update URLs and break sentences, as indicated by words in brackets. I did not change the meaning of Kathleen's document in any way. -- barb

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