Get a whiff of this

If you listen very closely, amongst all of the talk about banning plastic bags, smoking in public parks and plastic water bottles, there is something else in the works of being banned; cologne, perfumes and smelly deodorant at work.

It is definitely a possibility that city employees may be restricted in their range of general smelliness. They could be required to forgo that dash of cologne, dab of aftershave or sprinkle of perfume that has been built into their morning routines. The Portland City Council has been considering the issue of excessive smell at the workplace over the past month and has been constructing a new smelly policy. The new set of standards will take effect in March.

It would be recommended that employees avoid deodorants high in fragrance and any other similar overly fragrant hygiene products. It is sad that something that is usually chalked up to common courtesy may have to be enforced with yet another ban.

Although currently it is not deemed as an outright ban, people could nevertheless suffer disciplinary actions from it.

There are two sides to every story, pros and cons to every issue, and this is no exception. People with asthma and allergies were the driving motivation behind this ban. After all, if employees cannot breathe, suffer an allergic reaction or cannot stop sneezing, then that is not very good for productivity.

Even for people without allergies or asthma, the ban bears positive aspects because many people get headaches triggered from powerful odors.

Most of us have encountered that person that generally comes to mind when the phrase “high in fragrance” is used. It is that person with the extra swagger of confidence because they think they smell so good, when really they are leaving a wake of gagging people passed out in their path.

You almost feel bad for them—they think that their cologne or perfume smells good, and that it is somehow giving them an extra burst of mojo. It is truly sad because you do not want to hurt their feelings since they are so happy about their scent. Here is a newsflash for all those people out there—bathing in AXE is not going to attract a horde of girls who will in turn eagerly molest you; in fact, they are going to run in the opposite direction of your stench.

We do not just see, or smell, these people in the workplace, but on the streets as well. They are the people who walk past you, and once you get a whiff you try to hang back a couple of blocks, but you can still smell them. There must be something about assault against your nostrils or sense of smell. Also, it is just common courtesy to think of others and how they might feel about the necessity of a gas mask when talking to you.

Since there is good, there also must be bad. Is our government really all that focused on the issue of “smelliness?” Are there not bigger issues for them to tackle? Of course there are, but they are still focusing time, energy and money on this.

Who decides what crosses the line of a deodorant being too high in fragrance or whether the amount of cologne/perfume a person wears is too much? Something that may push the limits on being too smelly for one person can just be a pleasant squirt of perfume for another. What smells are deemed unsavory while others are welcomed? Until a definitive point is reached, it is going to be tough to pass a ban when smells can be so subjective.

People should also be able to actually have a human interaction and politely ask them to wear less perfume or cologne if the smell irritates them. Of course, at the moment it may be awkward, but awkwardness happens everyday. One would think that coworkers would have enough respect for each other to oblige in creating a healthy and happy work environment.

Another problem is that some people may take this “ban” as a “let’s reject deodorant and everything altogether” deal. It is very important to remember that this ban is not about discouraging hygiene—in fact, it does encourage hygiene, people just cannot go out and buy the smelliest deodorant in the world and bathe themselves in cologne or perfume anymore.

There are many sides to this possible new ban, good and bad, but there need to be more concrete definitions for this ban to have a chance of success. ?