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WHEREAS, Women for a Healthy Environment educates and empowers community members to act as ambassadors about environmental risks so they can make healthy choices for themselves and their families and advocate for change for a better tomorrow for all; and
WHEREAS, Women for a Healthy Environment provides educational workshops throughout the year that focus on environmental risk factors associated with food and consumer products, including personal care products and cosmetics; and
WHEREAS, the ingredient "fragrance" is in thousands of consumer products, but due to loopholes in federal regulations the chemical content of fragrance is not fully disclosed; and
WHEREAS, fragrance can include a selection from 3,100 different chemicals, the majority of which have not been thoroughly investigated or proven safe; and
WHEREAS, fragrance can pose significant health risks by triggering asthma attacks, allergic reactions and neurological symptoms, such as headaches and migraines, as well as impacting reproductive development in men and women; and
WHEREAS, fragrance emits Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which reduce indoor air quality and has been linked to short- and long-term adverse health effects; and
WHEREAS, Women for a Healthy Environment is hosting public events at various locations across the City on May 20, 2014 to educate the general public about "what your nose doesn't know" about the mystery ingredient "fragrance" and its potential harmful health effects, as well as distribute safer and healthier consumer products; and
WHEREAS, this year Women for a Healthy Environment is launching a Fragrance-Free Schools toolkit to provide tools, tips and resources to aid school district personnel and parents in creating a healthy school environment free from fragrances and other harmful chemicals that reduce indoor air quality; and
WHEREAS, these events are wonderful opportunities to educate the general public across southwestern Pennsylvania so they can be better informed consumers and advocates for safer and healthier ingredients in our personal care and consumer products; and
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby proclaim May 20, 2014 Fragrance-Free Day in the City of Pittsburgh; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council of the City of Pittsburgh celebrates Women for a Healthy Environment's focus on educating the public about safety of personal care products.