Vol. 32, Jan. 2023 Issue

Harassment Consultation Center NewsAs the cold winter days continue and we deal not only with COVID-19 but also the flu and the cold,
it’s important that we all continue to take care of our health, including by washing our hands andgargling.
By the way, have you heard of the term "smell harassment?" Smell harassment is to cause
discomfort, physical ailments, or health problems to those around you by scents or odors.
In this issue of the Center's newsletter, we hope to give you a better understanding of what smellharassment is.

Hey! What is smell harassment?
It’s also called "Fragrance Pollution."
I’ll use the word "smell" here to describe a scent or odor thatbrings a sense of discomfort or health problems to those nearby.
"Smells" include not only body odor and bad breath, but also manyother things around us, such as cigarettes, fragrance oils, airfresheners, perfumes, hair styling products, scented detergents,
fabric softeners, and strongly scented cosmetics.
※Ever since around 2008, more and more people have begun to complain about
health problems caused by scented fabric softeners.
※In 2021, at the request of the Consumers Union of Japan, five Japanese government
agencies jointly issued a poster about fragrance pollution.
※As for cigarettes, smoking has, in principle, been prohibited in indoor public
facilities and stores since April 2020.

What!? But don't fragrance oils and scented fabricsofteners smell good?
The perception of smell varies greatly from person to person.
Even if the wearer likes the smell, strong scents may makesome people feel sick. People can experience various
symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and difficulty thinking.

Oh, really? So what you're saying is that there may be
people around us who feel uncomfortable?
Yes! Once we know that some people feel uncomfortable orunwell around strong smells, there are things we can do to beconsiderate of others.

We can become more aware of whether the smells weare wearing are too strong.
Using air fresheners, deodorizers, and air purifiers to reduce
smells and keeping rooms ventilated are all great, butpeople who wear scented fabric softeners and perfumes
should also do their part.
It's harder to notice your own smell than it is to notice thesmell of other people. Even if you use the same amount offragrance each time, it's easy to get so used to the scent you
use on yourself that you can barely smell it anymore. Thatmakes it easy to increase the amount or frequency offragrances you use without even realizing it, so be careful!

We might end up unintentionally smelling very strongly.
We have to be careful! But some people don't have asense of smell, right? What should we do then?
It’s hard to say what we should do in that situation. In suchcases, feel free to consult with the Harassment
Consultation Center. You can work with a counselor tofigure out how to handle it.

Smell sure is a sensitive issue. There are evenpeople who worry about their own smell. Firstly, it’salways important to remember that some people
have problems with smells and to do our part bybeing considerate of them.

If you have any questions,concerns, or issues related toharassment, whether it’s smellharassment or something else,
please come visit theHarassment Consultation
Center!

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Nagoya University Harassment Consultation Center
Tel: 052-789-5806
Address: 464-8601 Furo-cho Chikusa-ku Nagoya
h-help@adm.nagoya-u.ac.jp