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Without cigarette smoke in bars and restaurants, we can smell stale beer, bad cologne and body odor, the likes of which these revelers are surely emitting.
By Jennifer Worick
Smoking bans are increasingly found in bars and nightclubs around the world. But as the smell of cigarette smoke slowly fades from your favorite hotspot, new, not-always-pleasing odors rear their stinky head. Body odor, cologne that should have been left in the 80s, stale beer -- what’s a barfly or club kid to do?
This is the question researchers in the Netherlands decided needed a scientific answer. They dispensed three different scents — orange, peppermint, and seawater — in three dance clubs. About 850 20-somethings weighed in about their evening in da scented club.
“We started the study because unwanted smells came up as a problem for many bars and nightclubs after the smoking ban,” said Dr. Hendrik Schifferstein from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, one of the researchers conducting the study. “Entrepreneurs were looking for a solution to this problem.”
The study included pre- and post-measurements of no-scent control conditions. Respondents filled out a short questionnaire, asking them to rate the quality of the evening, the music, and the club, as well as their feelings. The results showed that the addition of scent enhanced dancing activity and improved their evaluation of the evening, music, and mood. (The type of scent didn’t make any significant difference in pairs of feet on the dance floor.)
The findings were published online this month in the journal Chemosensory Perception.
Any scent other than cigarette smoke certainly lifts Darin Sanone’s spirits when he hits the club. A bartender for nine years at Rage, a gay nightclub in West Hollywood, is all for a little aromatherapy/air freshener. “One of the DJs last week burned incense,” said Sanone, “and it traveled all the way through the bar and even masked a horrible smell coming from a corner of the club.”
Is fragrance the new wave of the future? Dr. Schifferstein thinks so. “I have heard that fragrance machines are very popular ever since the smoking ban. So I do expect more and more clubs to use them. In addition, I know that there are club owners who hire specialized aroma DJs to produce fragrances that match the music played,” he said.
Until that time when sandalwood or China rain is being pumped into your favorite watering hole, savor the cigarette-free scent and flavor of a good cocktail. “The only big change I have noticed is people drinking more refined drinks, perhaps because the subtle flavors are not masked by heavy cigarette smoke,” said Miles Thomas, a former Seattle bartender and owner of Scrappy’s Bitters. And that’s nothing to sniff at.
Jennifer Worick is a freelance writer and author in Seattle. Find her at jenniferworick.com.
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Leave a Comment:
As one of the 15% of the population with cologne/perfume/chemical odor allergies I really hope this doesn't become too prevalent.
2nd hand cologne/perfume/chemical ban coming soon to a location near you.
As another of the 15% - I agree completely!
This was my first thought as well... cologne and perfume are banned in many workplaces for this reason. It can literally hospitalize some people, and most perfume smells like crap. I'd rather kiss a smoker any day.
People need to know that unlike a bag of Doritos, a bottle of perfume contains more than 1 F-ing serving.
Couldn't go into these places before because the smoke made it too difficult to breathe, now won't be able to go in because the scents will make it too difficult to breathe. Oh well.
@Robin I couldn't agree more, sometimes I think one of my roommates must bathe in Axe body spray. That smell is harder to get rid of than skunk funk.
One man's meat is another mans poison.
Truer words have never been spoken. The World is not comprised of ONE THING ACCOMMODATES ALL.
You can always leave a smoking venue. Perfumes and colognes are harder to escape.
So now everyone gets poisoned by "SECOND HAND SCENTS"...geez!
Whimpies are never going to be happy until every phase of their miserable existence is regulated by the government!
quote:" A bartender for nine years at Rage, a gay nightclub in West Hollywood, is all for a little aromatherapy/air freshener." Euuuuu, peanut butter smell.........
As another one of the 15% who is very sensitive to fragrances, I hope this trend doesn't get off the ground. Why don't they try clean air for a change? Installation of air scrubbers/purifiers in these places would drastically reduce the air pollution. Fragrances don't do anything but add to air pollution.
Robin - AMEN to that! I used to work in two different buildings, each of which had one particular woman in it. If you were in the Pine St. building, and got on an elevator, you knew if Kathy had recently been on it. If you were at the Walnut St. building, the same thing about Joyce.
Why don't you folks with all the allergies just stay at home and let us smoke... wait no can't do that now... sniff the pleasant aromas in peace. You shouldn't be breeding and passing on your flawed genetics anyway.
I agree. As a serious allergy sufferer who carries an epi-pen with me everywhere I go, I find that smoking is actually less irritating that overly-perfumy smells.
Just curious to know have aromatics been shown to be as carcinogenic as cancer stick smoke?
What difference does that make when, if you can not breathe from an Asthma attack caused by an allergent, you're dead anyway.
Actually you die faster. No air no life.
Wilberta Wilberta Wilberta...
Asthma does NOT always = death sentence. There are various levels of asthmatic attacks that can occur. I asked that seemingly simpleton question b/c if indeed aromatics are as carcinogenic as cancer stick smoke then they would be banned. Just in case you have not realized, purported risk to the general public is the gold standard for determining whether or not something will be black labeled, etc.... So, regardless of the fact that few will suffer asthmatic attacks due to these aromatics if they prove not to be harmful to the majority of the public, they will not be banned or even have their use limited.
That's the difference it makes....few people have asthma attacks...sorry...tough titty...If everyone can get cancer from being exposed to it...then game changer my friend...game changer
It's a club, not a surgical suite. If you don't like the smell (good or bad), leave. The "I can't do x activity because I'm (fill in particular ailment, dislike or too heavy here), is killing us all. Remember your rights end where others begin. Pretty soon all activities will have to be done in hermetically sealed non-latex bubbles with soft lighting/colors with medical grade oxygen pumped in just so EVERYONE can fit in to every scenario. Everyone wearing a Biosafety Level 4 outfit is where I want to go....get over it.
As a sufferer of severe allergies to cleaners & scents (citrus cleaners are the worst!) I have always been aware of what "smell" I entered, and removed myself from harm. I do not expect you to stop wearing your favorite cologne, or using your favorite cleaner. It is MY responsibility to protect myself. If you don't like the smell, don't go there! Seems pretty simple, but then again, we could not stay out of bars because of cig smoke, we had to ban smoking, so I doubt many can stay out due to other smells, we will have to ban those, too.
How do you decide what smell is OK? Where do you draw the line?
I have severe allergies myself and have found that many products used to help cover up scents actually make my allergies flare up (besides the cigarette smoke and all the normal club smells). However, recently my gym had been smelling a lot more pleasent and I asked one of the workers what they were using since it didn't cause me to go into sneezing fits.
She said they are using a product called a Scent Beam. They actually have it hidden on a high shelf and it makes the huge sweaty room smell great! The scent they were using was Mango and when I asked what kind of refills they are using and she said all she knows is that they are Envirokleen certified. (I guess that means they are good for the environment and for people?)
She said it was reasonably priced and had all sorts of different smells available. I'm thinking of getting one for my house if I can find it. Maybe club owners could try these out. The smell wasn't overpowering but I didn't have to smell sweaty Hans pumping iron next to me either.
These fragrances are made with toxic chemicals that cause severe health effects, in fact these fragrant chemicals that are used in these night clubs and in household products like air fresheners, Febreze, Bounce Dryer sheets, and all the other scented household products are more toxic to human health than cigarette smoke. Professor steinemann of the University of Washington did a study into these fragrant chemicals and discovered the toxic chemicals used in these scented products. You can read her summary at this link:
http://water.washington.edu/Outreach/Events/AnnualReview/2009AR/steinemann.pdf
If the bar owners really want to eliminate the odors, they could simply use the same ozone and charcoal filters used in casinos, bingo halls, and of course by the indoor marijuana grow-ops.
One of the DJs last week burned incense...
How is this smoke any better for you than a sweet cherry cigar? Both are scented but both produce smoke.
Here is a novel idea, If you do not like the smell of cigarettes open a non smoking club. Don't like the smell of perfume open a perfume free club. It is a free country but your rights do not get to trample my rights. Since everyone wanted to cry about smoking it has been banned. Now people want to cry about air freshener?!? GET A LIFE PEOPLE! If you do not like it do not go there. Even when smoking was NOT banned there where still places a non smoker could go where smoking wasn't allowed, they didn't want to go to those places so the cried long enough to get it banned. So where do we stop whiners? When is enough enough? When do we say the rights of one does NOT trample the rights of another?
samiam-2546435, do your research. There are thousands of non-disclosed chemicals in perfumes, hygiene products, air fresheners, laundry products, etc. Why? Because our FDA and EPA have an outdated "trade secret" law that allows manufactures to create fragrances in labs that contain chemicals that are carcinogenic, immunogenic, allergenic, and so on. I am one of the 15% in this nation that are injured from these products. My illness is so severe that I cannot participate in going to clubs or restaurants or theaters anymore. I have to wear a charcoal face mask to just grocery shop or get my mail or drive my car. These products injured me and took away the life I had. Not every person is susceptible to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, but the more of these products we abuse, the higher incident rate of the illness.
Search the NIH and find the studies linking fragrances to various illnesses. Look up professor Anne Stienneman and her research into what various undisclosed chemicals are in everyday products. Yes, I wish I had a life.
Excuse me, but I'm allergic to BO and conspiracy theories, thus my dx is SCS ("Single Chemical Sensivity") with a side of BS...hahahahahaha. You know, it's funny most major medical organizations have yet to define any actual pathogenesis to this illness that would allow it to stand alone from being categorized under the umbrella of psychiatric issues.
I am not suggesting that people are NOT allergic to a select grp of chemicals. WHat I am saying is the dx of MCS has not been fully supported even by some major organizations dedicated to studying allergies and immunologic responses.
And I'm curious to know how incidence is directly proportional to level of chemical abuse.
The ODOR police will be coming for us all.... SOON!!!
I know not the point of the article, but why is it necessary to state that it's a gay nightclub... 'a gay nightclub in West Hollywood'?
Would saying 'a nightclub in West Hollywood' not have gotten the point across? I am sure they allow non-gay people in there too.
In is a know fact that gay nightclubs emit more odor than straight clubs. Think about it or do I have to draw you a picture?
As a former bartender in the ole smoking days, the worst smells are moldy ice wells and urine. Bartenders need to really clean the whole wells. Most people would not go into bars if they saw how filthy they are in full daylight. It's alot better to go to a resaurant, with a bar, as they are (generally) kept much cleaner. Just dance in the aisles.
You don't like it, go somewhere else or stay home.
This is a horrible idea. Have a skylight put in, windows up high, better ventilation, something other than this! People are going to start to get sick off of this stuff (constant headaches, sinus problems, allergies that never existed before, etc.) that could ultimately lead to a total body overload and more serious complications. How do I know? I am one of the unfortunate ones with severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity that cannot go out into public without a charcoal face mask due to an injury at work. One person where I used to work was so obnoxious that she told co-workers that she put an "extra squirt of perfume on just for her (me)". This stuff contains over 2,000 undisclosed chemicals that the EPA allows manufactures not to disclose under "trade secret" laws. A study done by Professor Anne Stienneman found that chemicals in several fabric softeners were listed as carcinogenic, but allowed since they fell under "fragrance" and were non-disclosed.
Not everyone is susceptible to this illness, but for those of us who are (15% of the population is enormous) this is devastating.
Call me suicidal, but I would much rather inhale second-hand smoke than some jackass' B.O.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a smoker (many will stop reading here). I have a neighbor who has told me on many occasions that she has MCS, and asked me to warn her before treating my yard with fertilizer, pesticides, etc. This article made me curious so like many of you I did a Google search and found this article.
For those of you who suffer from MCS, PLEASE read this, and for those of you who suspect MCS is a misdiagnosis, PLEASE read this. Suffering should not be expected from just living, but being treated incorrectly is even more inhumane.
John-900908: Your sarcastic opening betrays your ignorance. You need to go back and check your facts. Here are some to help with you.
1. Consensus was reached in 1999 on the six criteria that define Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. This was achieved and published by thirty-four "researchers and clinicians with experience in the study, evaluation, diagnosis, and/or care of adults and children with chemical sensitivity disorders" (Pamela Reed-Gibson quoting the study from Nethercott, Davidoff, Curbow, et all. research of 1993 that led to the 1999 consensus).
2. My own research includes over 200 sources from neurophsychologists, MD's, ND's, psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, and peer reviewed medical studies including (but not limited to) the National Institute of Health. Countries around the world, Japan and Germany being two examples, have accepted MCS as a physiological illness with ICD10 codes for diagnosis. Yes, there are psychogenic theories, but the preponderance of evidence shows that this is a very real physical illness. There is now genetic testing that reveals a person's inability to process certain chemicals in the environment. This explains how a person can be severely impaired by petroleum products but still be able to be around other products (i.e. chemicals) in the environment. (Which, did you know fragrances heavily use petroleum derivatives? Bet not.) Studies on genetic testing for chemical sensitivity are listed at PubMed, a clearing house for medical and scientific research for the NIH. There have been studies published that now prove that combinations of chemicals in products can have a synergistic effect, creating new and potentially toxic compounds. (See Anne Steinemann's research) These newly created compounds can be carcinogenic as in the case of the chemical limonene (common in cleaners and perfumes) coming into contact with ambient ozone. The interaction creates the gas formaldehyde.
3. It is no conspiracy or stretch of the imagination to understand why major medical associations in America (others in the European Union have) have hesitated to accept this research. Politics and money. I do not adhere to conspiracies either, but all you have to do is understand basic economics and the impact it would have on companies if they had to "fess up" what they have been putting in products undisclosed for over 50 years. First, it would open the door for tremendous liability given the fact that there is mounting medical evidence for both cause and effect negative health effects of certain scented products. Second, the cost of having to fully disclose every chemical ingredient on the label would be very large. Not to mention onerous because some of these products may not be big enough to fully contain a list of all their ingredients, perfume being one of them. Third, the fragrance industry and industries that make products that contain fragrance keep using the "trade secret" defense to not allow full disclosure. With todays technology, anyone can take a sample to a lab and have gas spectrometry done. It will not give a precise analysis, but it will show every chemical component in the product. However, last I checked one lab charges $16,000 for a full analysis. Not much for a large company, but I don't have $16,000 laying around.
(Part 1 of 2)
John-900908: Part 2 of 2
5. This illness was only recently identified in the last 40 years. Research for this illness is ongoing and theories evolve as understanding of the genesis of the illness changes. Look at illnesses such as chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis and lyme disease. These illnesses were once considered mental illnesses or psychosomatic as well until medical research proved otherwise.
In conclusion, this is a very serious and growing health problem that will need to be properly dealt with. In the meantime, no, I do not expect the world to change for me, but when I see something potentially dangerous being proposed such as this, I feel the need to speak up. I also do expect large corporations to be held accountable for what they are placing in their products without the consumers knowledge.
Lethe2,
There was no sarcasm intended, merely stating a fact. Many comment sections are populated by some who are just looking to anger, or offend.
As for the article, I perhaps should have been more clear on what I believed the article to say; that is, not all who suffer (and clearly there is suffering) are affected by compounds, chemicals, etc. If the suffering is only compounded by a misdiagnosis who is being served?
I also never once stated that additional research is unnecessary. On the contrary, real research is how problems are solved. Real research will separate those who have biological issues, from those who are suffering psychological conditions, and in doing so treat a larger percentage of sufferers.
I also noticed that my post didn't include the link to the article. That may also have contributed to the misunderstanding.
if you cant keep a post short, most people will just glance over it. just did. sorry.
My ignorance appears to be in how I post, not what I post.
Article I referenced 2 posts ago:
I give up.
I could not agree more. I work in a small hotel which went non-smoking some years ago as getting the cig smell out was difficult and not pleasing to non-smoking guests. But let me tell you---the stench of sweat, dirty clothes, stinky feet and shoes and perfume is much worse. It lingers in the fabrics and air worse than cigarette smoke and is harder to get rid of. Strong perfumes especially linger for days and days. Personally I'd rather host and clean up after a smoker who bathes and cracks a window while smoking than a non-smoker who leaves the guestroom reeking like a locker room or stinky perfume any day.
Steve-GDI: My two posts, #14 and #15, were directed to John-900908 who opened with the sentence:
"Excuse me, but I'm allergic to BO and conspiracy theories, thus my dx is SCS ("Single Chemical Sensivity") with a side of BS...hahahahahaha"
This is why I took the time to type the lengthy response outside of his comment because I wanted to make sure everyone understood the issues behind MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity). This is a very real genetic, multi-system illness that affects between 7% to 15% of the American population (Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D.-Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, A Survivors Guide). As I stated before, it is not only a national problem, it is a global problem.
I want to address a couple of your comments in post #15.1:
"As for the article, I perhaps should have been more clear on what I believed the article to say; that is, not all who suffer (and clearly there is suffering) are affected by compounds, chemicals, etc. If the suffering is only compounded by a misdiagnosis who is being served?"
I agree that there are cases of misdiagnoses...in many illnesses. Not just MCS. However, misdiagnoses of MCS as just psychosomatic or an allergy is extremely common because western medicine refuses to look at root causes and only treat the symptoms. People presenting persistent headaches, sinusitis, sore throats, fatigue, rashes upon contact with certain things in the environment it viewed as "not possible" or seen as an allergy not as a systemic problem. This causes the person years of suffering, taking unnecessary medications which could make the MCS worse, and further sensitize the person to more chemical compounds in a process that creates an uncontrolled cascading effect. I have met many people who are severely disabled because of misdiagnoses and were originally told they were "crazy" or "malingering" and so on. After years of searching and spending their life savings most become destitute by the time they find the answer and then its too late because they cannot afford treatment that could help them manage their illness. MCS is also an illness with no cure. The affected try to bring themselves to a level of functioning where they can again work, socialize and so on. There are those who are unfortunate who become so injured that they can never reclaim their prior lives, a forced sequestering and isolation that is often mis-interpreted as a mental illness. This illness is on a continuum where the mildest cases can fully function and avoid their triggers to their illness to the ones who are hospitalized regularly with severe and sometimes life threatening reactions and can no longer participate in everyday functions.
"I also never once stated that additional research is unnecessary. On the contrary, real research is how problems are solved. Real research will separate those who have biological issues, from those who are suffering psychological conditions, and in doing so treat a larger percentage of sufferers."
You are right, you never stated anything about additional research being necessary as I was responding to a different post. I agree there needs to be more research and it is currently being done. However, as more research is done (which is being done globally) it is increasingly found that people are really physically ill and need to be treated as such. As more information about this illness comes to light then better diagnosis for MCS will occur, people will not be marginalized, reasonable accommodations will be provided and insurance (in America) will start to cover this illness on a whole instead of breaking the symptoms down with separate diagnostic ICD 9 codes in the US.
As I had said in the end, I can't expect people to fully accommodate me, I can only adapt, but I also expect respect. I have been evaluated by a neuropsychologist, psychologist, medical doctor and naturopathic physicians who all agree that I have MCS. Not surprisingly, the insurance companies have found their own experts to the contrary. And on it goes. However, I can remain determined to educate people showing that there might be better ways to clean and not use air fresheners in restrooms and so on. The continued practice of hiding ingredients from the public and having the audacity to safe they are "safe" when it has now been proven they are not has to stop and be fully supported by the FDA and the EPA.
Sorry for the lengthy response, but as you can tell this is a subject very close to me and I have seen much suffering caused by misinformation and misunderstanding.
Really? Is that all you have to say. Wow!
Lethe, Thank you for your well written, informative posts. There are jerks everywhere and some of the jerks are on this board. Apparently, some of them are only able to read short sentences as their ability to process information can only be done in bits, here and there. When they are ill, it will be their own ignorance that put them there. Don't you wish someone had taken the time to inform us of the truth behind scented products before we became ill? Let them learn the hard way now. You tried!
See what happens when you ban smoking? You get to smell everything else. In a nightclub that's 150 sweaty, drunk people. Somebody pass the Vicks.