Allergies - Airborne

Two out of five Americans are subjected to air-borne allergies, whose main symptom is rhinitis. Rhinitis is the inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane. Tymptoms include sneezing, and a runny nose.

An allergy is an inappropriate and potentially damaging immune system response to a substance in the environment, such as pollen or house dust mites.

If a person reacts to such a substance, it means their body has become hypersensitive to that substance. Another person in the same place at the same time might not react. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen.

Should House Republicans be pushing new legislation that could wipe out the ability of states to ban or strictly limit the use of pesticides and toxic industrial chemicals that can jeopardize human health?

In an effort to reduce emissions of pollutants and increase the control pesticide use, Health Canada plans to monitor 5000 people to determine the extent of their body burden of harmful chemicals.

As in the US, many people in Canada believe that the federal government should get serious about reducing emissions and controlling pesticide use.

According to an article in the Washington Post, lodging giant Marriott International Inc. announced it will ban smoking in its 400,000 hotel rooms (2,300-plus hotels) in the United States and Canada.

"YOU DON’T SEE PEOPLE with chemical sensitivities in the hardware store, with its strong odours of fresh rubbers, plastics, and paints (1,3-butadiene, benzene, xylene). You don’t see them in new clothing or shoe stores (formaldehyde, biphenyls) or shoe and bicycle repair shops (epoxy glues)." To find out where else you don't see people with MCS and why not, read Steven Rowhat's article "Invisible Cripples".

MCS-GLOBAL is a an on-line and possibly local source of help, support, and information for those who suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivies and other chemically induced illnesses, diseases and injury affecting CIVILIANS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL.

Use these 2 lists to find scent-free places and to persuade others that they would not be the first to establish scent-free area. Look at both, because they do not duplicate each other.

http://www.mcscanadian.org/pdf/scentfree2005.pdf