Fragrances can cause health issues in school

School can be a smelly place. The scent of sweat after gym class and the smell of all those students crammed into small classrooms can be overwhelming. It’s no surprise that teachers and students want to cover up the stench with something that smells good. In some cases, those fragrances cause a lot of harm, and they might not work well, either.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America around 4.8 million children under 18 have asthma. Asthma can have a range of triggers including smoke, pollen, and pets. Other triggers include  perfume and air fresheners.

Brittany Davis is an 8th-grade math and Algebra teacher. According to her, “air fresheners and fragrances aren’t allowed” at Sevier Middle

Library and media specialist Kristy Williamson-Jackson agreed.

“I believe there is a system-wide rule about this topic,” she said.

Migraines also affect many adults and students, causing many missed work and school days. Migraines, too, can be triggered by fragrances.

“Quite a few scents give me a headache,” Williamson-Jackson said.

The system-wide rule, however, is less of a rule and more of a guideline.

Andy True is the Assistant Superintendent in Administration for Kingsport City Schools. According to him, the topic of fragrances is addressed in the KCS “Administrative Procedures Manual”, which provides guidance to schools on issues regarding operations.

“Due to sensitivities and allergies among staff and students, the use of scented perfumes, lotions, candles, etc. is discouraged in KCS buildings,” he said.

Since these products are only discouraged, many teachers use air fresheners and wax warmers.

Kingston Kelly is an 8th-grade student and he enjoys scented products.

“Teachers do [use scented products] and it lightens my mood when I get to smell something other than concrete,” he said.

Not all students are fans of this habit.

“It makes me get a really bad headache,” 6th-grade student Emma Blutol said.

Another student, Adilyn King, feels the same way.

“I don’t really care if it’s not too strong, but I don’t really like it,” she said. “Sometimes it is way too much or other times it just hurts my head.”

Not only do teachers use these types of things but students do as well, especially with perfumes and body sprays.  This causes great discomfort to some people.

“Students don’t understand that a little goes a long way,” Williamson-Jackson said. “Scents can compete with each other and make things worse.”

Davis agreed.

“I think that those sprays are too strong and cause coughing or asthma issues because they are more concentrated and alcohol-based,” she said.

Blutol, too, disagrees that these strong scents are good.

“I hate it,” she said, “It gives me a headache.”

Still, many feel fragrances are fine and they don’t affect them in a bad way.

“Certain fragrances can have a positive effect in a classroom when used in moderation,” Davis said. “I believe strong fragrances can negatively affect students, but teachers can properly gauge the amount of scent in their rooms.”

Kelly agreed.

“I don’t think strong fragrances can be a distraction because smelly things just happen and we are fairly used to it,” he said.

Some believe that having better hygiene is better than just covering up bad smells.

“By increasing our hygiene, washing daily, our body odor is minimized,” Williamson-Jackson said. “Our school can also help body odor by giving students deodorant as needed.”

Though she believes that better hygiene would be better than using perfume and body sprays to cover it up, she doesn’t think all scents are bad.

“The use of fragrances, when used correctly, can make our environment better,” she said. “Certain scents have been proven to help concentration and illness.”

Many students feel that strong fragrances should not be used in schools while some do.

“Just think about others and how it could affect them and try to seem more understanding,” King said. “It’s a rule for a reason.”

According to True, those guidelines are there to help students

“We work to have learning environments that are safe, best, and most appropriate for all students,” he said. “Our procedures and policies in this area are developed and implemented with the goal of supporting everyone as they strive to reach their highest potential.”