From the videos on air pollution and the three articles, it is clear that children are the most subjective to environmental exposures. Indoor air pollution is the most common exposure in children and is why 2 in 5 school aged children in California have asthma. In order to combat this exposure, which is preventable, a chemical/fragrance policy in schools would be a manageable plan. It would push school staff to better regulate what kind of cleaning products are being used and fragrances worn by either the staff or the students. A policy could include items such as: decreasing the amount of chemicals used to clean by janitors, kindly asking the teachers and staff not to wear any overpowering scent/perfume while on the school’s campus, or if there is a locker room to ask the students to not bring certain body sprays. This is a potentially touchy subject, as you do not want to regulate how a person choice to live, but by at least stopping a few things could dramatically decrease the amount of air pollutants surrounding a school.
Side Note: When I was in college living in my sorority house, we actually had a girl who had bad allergic reactions to Febreze. One day in our chapter meetings, she described her situation and kindly asked the entire chapter to please use any other air freshener besides Febreze. Nobody questioned it or complained, as she was open and honest with her situation. Since that night, nobody used Febreze.
Regulations for cleaning products is a great way to combat unnecessary pollutants in the school. These get trapped inside if there is not air flowing through. Schools are usually cleaned at night after everyone leaves and it is highly unlikely that the janitors will leave windows open that late!
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