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Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift Proclaims Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Awareness Week
To raise public awareness about Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), an increasingly prevalent and often debilitating illness with exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment, Governor Jane Swift has named May 5-11 "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Awareness Week."
Symptoms of MCS include fatigue, headache, respiratory ailments, various skin conditions, gastrointestinal problems, muscle and joint pain, memory and concentration difficulties, and other neurological problems. This illness, for which there is no cure, recognizes no boundaries of age, sex or economic circumstances.
Poor indoor air quality is a major factor in MCS. It is like a toxic chemical soup containing mold and fungus, pesticides, fragranced personal care products, cleaning agents, and other chemicals commonly found in the workplace. New chemicals are added to the soup daily. Other common triggers of MCS include carpets, paint, building materials, vehicle exhaust, office products, latex, and fabrics. People's health is at risk at work, school and home, while shopping and in the community.
For more information about MCS, contact the Massachusetts Association for the Chemically Injured (MACI) by phone at (978) 681-5117. You can also visit their web site at http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/maci.