PSA/Rant:
The other day I got on the bus to find there was a very strong perfume in the air, only I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. My nose instantly started to burn, my lungs felt strained, and I got lightheaded and nauseated. I couldn't open a window, because my neck was in terrible shape this week and any draft would have started a serious headache. Survived that, then I got to work and found that the roof was being tarred. Most people don't notice or care about such things, but to me the air was choking. My boss and I both had to wear facemasks the entire day so that we could breathe slightly more comfortably. She easily gets migraine triggers too which she managed to avoid.
But this doesn't just happen with widespread fumes like this. It happens every time someone gets close to me with: smoke of ANY kind, including pot and ecig fumes...actually the smells of those themselves without the smoke make me ill on their own (ecig fumes can actually contain some pretty bad toxins--you should NOT use them indoors); perfumes, body/hair care products, and other chemical based scents. I am not alone. Environmental sensitivities effect many people. Every day I step out of my home (and even sometimes in it) I come into contact with things that cause, but are not limited to: choking, difficulty breathing, burning sinus/throat/lungs, dizziness, nausea, headache, etc. It not only makes you feel very ill very quickly, but can also be pretty painful. If and when I cannot move to more adequate ventilation FAST, it rapidly becomes worse and at times I've had to hold my breath and RUN. I often keep a scarf on me to hold over my face if needed, but often that is just a short term fix, as some of it still can get in and it is not a real filter. It's just a band-aid until I can get to cleaner air. Plus, it stifles the oxygen intake, which also makes it harder to breathe.
And yet still, people laugh or don't believe me when I try to tell them how serious things like this are. I don't know how many times I've had some asshole light up at a fucking bus stop, and then when I start coughing and heaving, they jokingly say, "Oh sorry, am I killing you?" UHHHH YES, you actually are. People used to commonly smoke in public areas, buildings and their own fucking homes up until the 80s and 90s. Then most stopped doing it when there was increasing news on how dangerous this was--I remember a lot of ads about children's health, particularly. NO SHIT. And yet, I am still stupefied by the number of people who just never cared.
How many times should someone need to tell you, they CAN'T FUCKING BREATHE near this stuff? Why does it even have to come to someone starting to choke? Why would you use smoke and chemicals so close to other people without even thinking about it? You know the dangers of it I'm sure. At least the basics of it, if not all the details of its havoc on your biochemistry. So, if you don't care enough about your own health, please think twice about someone else's before you smoke around them, wear perfumes and scented body/hair products in public areas (or even your own home when you're having guests), use chemical household products, etc. This is a serious health issue. Your inconsideration could seriously harm someone. Please take care around others.
And not that I care much for Suzuki, but:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/queen-of-green/2011/05/be-sensitive-to-those-with-environmental-sensitivities/
/endrant
