People who wear perfumes will be asked to sit in a special section during meetings.
SHUTESBURY, Mass. (AP) – Opinions are welcome at Shutesbury’s town meeting, but as of next month, perfumes, scented deodorants and detergents are not.
Town residents attending this spring’s town meeting on May 3 will be asked to sit in different sections, depending on their fragrance use: one section for those who never use scented products, another for those who sometimes wear fragrance but on not the day of the meeting, and a third for those wearing scents. The last section will be labeled, “Seating for those who forgot and used cologne and perfume.”
The seating segregation is the town’s solution to accommodating residents who claim to suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities syndrome, a chronic hypersensitivity to chemicals and odors. Its causes are unknown and its very existence in dispute, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Science.
Using fragrances in public is similar to smoking, said Town Administrator David Ames, who’s also charged with making the town compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“What you’re talking about here is a physical impact on people, something that will make people sick,” Ames told the Daily Hampshire Gazette of Northampton.
A local survey found that nine of 52 respondents identified themselves as afflicted with the disorder.
The town meeting seating arrangement was suggested by the Massachusetts Office of Disabilities, which recommended establishing fragrance zones, Ames said.
“We want all citizens to be able to attend Town Meeting, and with a little cooperation, we can do that,” Ames said.
Shutebury’s effort to become fragrance-free began two years ago. The town also has fragrance-free hours at a local library when patrons are not allowed to wear fragrances and the laser printer is turned off.
Ziporah Hildebrandt, chairwoman of the town’s ADA Committee, says a fragrance-free environment is a civil rights issue. She says she herself can’t go to the meeting, because she has the disorder and the school building has odors that bother her.
“No one who wants to go should be unable to attend, for whatever reason,” Hildebrandt said.
AP-ES-04-25-03 2126EDT
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