Scandic hotels introduces standard for fragrance-free allergy-friendly rooms

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Scandic Hotels Accessibility Standard brochure

Scandic Hotels, which has hotels in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Poland, is the first hotel chain in the world to introduce a standard for allergy-friendly rooms. This means that guests booking allergy-friendly rooms can expect rooms prepared according to strict cleaning procedures and fragrance-free, hypoallergenic toiletries approved by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association, among other allergy-friendly adjustments. The new standard will be part of Scandic’s unique 159-point accessibility standard.

‘We get many requests to make guests’ stays more allergy-friendly. We’ve also already seen how successful our allergy-friendly “breakfast for all” has been. Our goal now is for all Scandic hotels to offer at least two allergy-friendly rooms within a year,’ says Magnus Berglund, Director of Accessibility at Scandic.Read More »

Perfume induces histamine release

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Perfume induces a dose-dependent non-IgE-mediated release of histamine from human peripheral blood basophils. Increased basophil reactivity to perfume was found in patients with respiratory symptoms related to perfume.

Elberling, J., Skov, P., Mosbech, H., Holst, H., Dirksen, A. and Johansen, J. (2007). Increased release of histamine in patients with respiratory symptoms related to perfume. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 37(11), pp.1676-1680.

Full article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17877753

 

43.2% of Australians would prefer that health care facilities and health care professionals were fragrance-free

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When asked, “Would you prefer that health care facilities and health care professionals be fragrance-free?” responses in a survey of the general Australian population were:

Yes   43.2%

No   25.2%

Neutral/not sure   31.1%

Decline to answer  0.5%

Steinemann, A. (2017). Health and societal effects from exposure to fragranced consumer products. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, pp.45-47.

Full article (free): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335516301449

Fragrance and asthmatics in the US, UK, Australia and Sweden

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Among asthmatics, 57.8% report fragrance sensitivity (64.3% US, 55.6% AU, 54.0% UK, 57.3% SE); that is, adverse health effects from exposure to fragranced products. The most common adverse health effects were respiratory problems (37.7%), mucosal symptoms (25.4%), asthma attacks (25.0%), migraine headaches (22.6%), and skin problems (17.1%)

Steinemann, A. and Goodman, N. (2019). Fragranced consumer products and effects on asthmatics: an international population-based study. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health.

Full article (free): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11869-019-00693-w pdf: https://rdcu.be/bAUZK

Death by spray deodorant

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A young man died from inhaling deodorant spray while being treated in a drug rehabilitation clinic. …
He quickly became hyperactive, before going into cardiac arrest and collapsing. When basic life support and six rounds of defibrillation to the heart failed to revive him, he was admitted to intensive care and placed in an induced medical coma, later dying when doctors withdrew life support.

https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/clinical-services/news/young-man-dies-from-inhaling-deodorant-1268141188

Scent-Free Zone poster from Canada

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scentfreezone

Free pdf available from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: https://www.ccohs.ca/products/posters/scentfree/

Air fresheners and other fragrances drive customers away

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16.7% of the [Australian] population reported that if they enter a business, and smell air fresheners or some fragranced product, they want to leave as quickly as possible.

Full article (free): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335516301449

How common is fragrance sensitivity in Australia?

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Overall, 33% of Australians report health problems, such as migraine headaches and asthma attacks, when exposed to fragranced products. Of these health effects, more than half (17.1%) could be considered disabling under the Australian Disability Discrimination Act.

Steinemann, A. (2017). Health and societal effects from exposure to fragranced consumer products. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, pp.45-47.

Full article (free): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335516301449