Fabreze is one of many brands air fresheners, kind not given

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Emergency room

   Made Nov 3, 2020 · , sent to the company Nov 12, 2020 · , published by CPSC Dec 4, 2020

   The product, in the report: Fabreeze Air Freshener All air fresheners, including “green”. Also essential oils, often in bathrooms, used as an air freshener. Also mosquito repellent that is put in the air, has a scent, both chemical brands and “green” (possibly essential oil type product)

   Dear Staff with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

   I struggle hugely with fragrances (toxic scents) in air fresheners and cleaning and laundry products.  I see with the opening up during this time of Covid, the increase and huge use of the use of the toxic scents in products in the general public  The general public does not seem to be aware of the dangers in scented products.  I wonder if the chemical companies want this information hidden from the public.  I also feel the products should carry a label that tells what chemicals are in the product and not hide some ingredients. ??So I wonder about children in schools with the toxic scents in the classrooms, likewise in the nursing homes.  These toxic scents have similar reactions as Covid.  The toxic scents cause huge health problems including neurological and lung problems and digestive problems. ??I ask if the public can be educated about the dangers of the toxic scents (fragrances) in air fresheners and cleaning products and laundry products, like what was done with tobacco back in the day.  I feel smart people and businesses would respond to education on the dangers of these products.  Right now the second hand scents affect people and I especially see it happening in the schools and nursing homes, but also in the general public.  I am aware of children that the toxic scents keep them from attending school.  Many products for the use of hand sanitizing have scents and I am very reactive to them.  I wonder if chemicals are involved. ??The toxins in essential oils and in air fresheners cause me to react as if I have eaten gluten and also once almost caused my death with syncope with the blood going from my head to my feet and as I was sitting up I blacked out and went to ER.  They told my husband to lay me down when he called 911.  ER found me very healthy with strong heart and labs, but said this stuff kills.  When around these fragrances I will have explosive diarrhea.  I am totally gluten and grain free and avoid chemicals in my food, but in my community the use of the toxic fragrances is very common and makes it very difficult for me.  When I try to educate the public about the toxic scents, they do not understand so choose to make no changes.  One example is that our Municipal Building where I am to vote uses essential oils and air fresheners hugely and refuse to change, so I have had  to use an absentee ballot.  I am very healthy biking 15 or so miles when weather permits, cross country skiing, have a big garden, lead a celiac support group, and more.  Yet I can not vote in my assigned voting building, a government building, because someone working in that building chooses to set essential oils and air fresheners in that building.  This upcoming election I will try to vote curbside hoping the ballot will not have the toxic scents on them. ??Also before the Covid was taking place I was volunteering for my Lutheran church to do Bible study in 15 nursing home type facilities.  Then the air fresheners, one by one were added to all but 2 of those buildings, causing me to react including feeling like I would pass out so needed to leave immediately, feeling like throwing up, harming my digestive track and I would be sick to my tummy the rest of the day, and my fingers changing colors and feeling numb.  When I told one of the nursing homes about this concern because I saw that it was also harming the residents, the office told me, exact words, “We don’t care”. And they added that the doctors don’t care.  When I asked my doctor about that statement, he said it is probably true that doctors don’t care because they do not know it is happening.  I wrote a note to the headquarters of that nursing home and when they did not reply and I called, they said, the case was closed.  Other nursing homes said they wanted welcoming smells.  The two nursing homes that before Covid I was still volunteering know the dangers of the fragrances and so do their headquarters and their buildings strive with success to be fragrance free.  I see the people in those buildings with greater health than what is happening where the toxic scents are happening. ??I lead a celiac group and I am finding many in the group also have problems with scents.  A couple times I reacted to the scents with a tremor and was worried when one from our group had the tremor problem and he lived in a senior citizen building that I was very dangerously reactive to.  My GI doctor said in his GI building they work hard to keep the building scent free because he sees the need for his employees and the patients that come into the building as some are reactive to the toxic scents. ??I can not go into some stores because the fragrances the store puts in the air.  When I asked for help with this, they will often say it bothers them too (even managers) but their headquarters say they must use them.  They asked me to contact their headquarters, but often the headquarters say they refuse to change, that the scents will stay. ??They are now putting insecticide scents in clothing and products, making it hard to purchase products.  I had a bag from [REDACTED] of cotton balls that I had washed the plastic bag and hung outside in hopes that the packaging scents will go away and will not harm me.  Some products we order online, we have to return or throw out because the scent, I can not handle. ??I love my church and do the Bible study on their behalf before the Covid in Nursing Home type places.  My church building is scent free, but the people in the church use the scented products and some essential oils, so I can not attend church.  Covid was a blessing as then my church had / has church online also.  And had / has drive up communion.  My pastor says he does not want to tell the members to not wear the toxic scents (he and his wife wear them too) and his wife does not see the scents as a problem for people even though I have given them links about the problem.  So it is my hope that education  will be put in place about the toxins in fragrances that are put in products, sharing that they can be harmful, education, just like what was done with tobacco.  I wonder if the chemical companies do not want the public to be educated about this problem. ??I am aware of a child that has trouble attending school because the toxic scents. ??In 2016 I had cancer cells taken out of my face by my nose, basal cell, making a hole 1 cm deep and 1.5 cm in diameter.  The doctor put me back together and it looks fine, but since, my reaction to the toxins in fragrances is much worse.  I must say when I am away from toxic scents I am very healthy.  The use of the Covid masks and social distances has helped my life and I do have a specific mask for the toxic scents.  I was wearing the masks before Covid, looking a bit strange, but now I look like everyone else. ??Recently I went out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants and they added essential oils to the restroom. For 72 hours or so I was ill.  I reached out to the restaurant to take the toxic scents out of the restroom.   He said he would look at the links I email him as he did not think that there are any problems with air fresheners and essential oils.  That restaurant does a great job for gluten free and for Covid, but they have no understanding about toxic scents.  They did take out the air fresheners.  How wonderful. ??Fragrances are a huge struggle for me, even making so that it is difficult to vote as our municipal building where I am to vote uses essential oil and air fresheners hugely.  Someone who works there puts in those scents and I often and continue to ask for them to take it out.  I have been using an absentee ballot, but after this election in August, they will not be doing that with an email ballot.  It is very difficult to get the ballot from an email which in past election will be the last they do that.  When they mailed it to me in a past election it smelled like essential oils, so it did not work, so they emailed a ballot the last time.  I tried curbside voting in August.  Justice Dept. from ADA says they are permitted to do what they are doing, but they feel I should keep trying to request that the scents be taken out of the building, they indicate it is poor that they treat the situation the way they do and refuse to take the scents out of the building. ??I have had  and continue to struggle to encourage my neighbors not to use essential oils connected to their homes and yards and pushed out their windows and yards into my yard and into my windows.   Education is so needed especially where people are making money selling these products.  From July through the summer scents in various mosquito repellant products put in the air by a next door neighbor caused me to have blistering rashes on different parts of my body, some the size of 8 by 4 inches, along with other reactions.  I shared kindly the problem with my neighbor, but they continued to use the products. ??It is during this time of Covid that I especially see a need to educate the public as I and others are seeing especially with damage to the fragile lung cells, that both Covid and the toxic scents cause health problems with the lungs and health. ??Thank you for anything you can do to help educate to protect the public from toxins in fragrances in air fresheners, cleaning products, and laundry products, especially concerning second-hand toxins in fragrances, to encourage the government to educate the public about the dangers of the chemicals in fragrances in products.  Also I ask that government buildings have scent free policies regarding the cleaning products and air freshers they use in government buildings.

   Nursing homes and senior housing managers and schools need also to be educated on the dangers of these toxic scents along with educating senior citizens, families of those in nursing homes, and students and families of students.  Just like education helped with the tobacco issue, education is a key to keep citizens, young and old,  with basic protections for lungs and health. ??Again, thank you for your understanding and kindness in looking into this and / or passing this information on to where help can be addressed.  There are many that struggle like I do.  I especially thank the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and all your work and effort.

   ??Sincerely, ?[REDACTED] See links below:   Links regarding toxins in air fresheners, essential oils. Laundry and cleaning products, scents, etc. and how it affects people: [REDACTED]

   Fresheners are dangerous to everyone. Please [REDACTED]: Air fresheners / adverse effects / Also can add Canada. I am like the canary in the coal mine and must avoid air fresheners. [REDACTED] ?www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/chemicalsodors.html

   ?[REDACTED]: Building and environment, 10 questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments ?[REDACTED]: INDOOR AIR QUALITY: Scented Products Emit a Bouquet of VOCs ?[REDACTED]: Everyday chemicals surpass cars as source of urban air pollution ? mcs-global.org     ewg.org    gaps.me   ADA regulations

   ?Other links: [REDACTED] This last info tells the dangers of essential oils based on scientific data.

   [REDACTED]  [REDACTED] (I received the following email after sending the above email. I appreciate any help toward education for the public and help toward safe government buildings regarding toxic scents as expressed in my email. If further information is needed, let me know and I would share what might be helpful.) Consumer Ombudsman <ConsumerOmbudsman@cpsc.gov> [REDACTED],

   I have read the information about fragrances and other products that you submitted to our Information Center. I am saddened to hear how difficult these products make your life. I can only imagine the daily frustrations, but I am sending some sympathy as best I can over email. As I see it, your main goal is to increase government awareness and educational efforts to help people with sensitivities like yours. I have heard you, loud and clear! While I cannot promise that we will be able to respond to this, I will forward this information to the Chemical Team here at the CPSC for their use and strategic planning purposes. Thank you for your efforts on behalf of consumers!

   There is also another venue for you to make reports of harm to the CPSC: www.saferproducts.gov . This website allows anyone to tell us about consumer product-related incidents and injuries. Every report is reviewed by a team of experts. I would encourage you to submit a report whenever you identify a hazardous product. Our epidemiologists will also be able to use such reports in their data mining. Such contributions from consumers just like you help the nation to efficiently respond to public health issues.

   If you have any questions about this or any other consumer product issue, please reach out.

   Regards,

   [REDACTED]

   [REDACTED]

   Where

   Plover, Wisconsin: Other Public Property/Office

   Who was involved

   Age 71, Female

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Fabreze is one of many brands, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources