Friday 21 November 2008

TRAGEDY AFTER BOY SPRAYS DEODRANT

Apologies, to those of you that like to debate politics, as this is not one of the normal topics for PitsnPots. This is a very sad story, and one that to be honest, really shocked me. I feel that this is something that needs to be highlighted, and the public need to be made aware of.

A 12 year old boy from Derbyshire died, after spraying deodrant whilst in a confined space, and caused him to have a cardiac arrhythmia.

Now, how many of us have teenagers, who do the very same. Even adults are probably guilty of doing it too. Yes, I know you need to use a bit of common sense, when spraying the stuff, but who would have thought the consequences if ignored, would result in a loss of life.

Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner Dr Robert Hunter said manufacturer Unilever provided adequate warnings on cans of the deodorant that large amounts should not be used in a confined space. He said: "It seems the presence of a volatile agent caused the cardiac arrhythmia. Daniel copiously used deodorant in the bathroom.
"I do not know how many people read the warnings about exposure awareness.
"But people need to know about the risks that these products have on the cardio-vascular system."

Now, it makes me think, what is actually in these deodrants in the first place. Who actually reads these warnings on the can? Do the warnings need to be made bigger, do the public need to be made more aware of the serious consequences of spraying the deodrants in confined spaces? To be honest, if you walk in a bedroom/bathroom, where someone has been on the spray, and that can only be, by using a small amount, it does make you cough, and can affect the chest, so you have to open the windows to let some air in.

So what do you think, and how many of you have read the warning on the spray can? I'm one of those that hasn't.

1 comment:

Shaun Bennett said...

I agree that this is a very sad case. We tend to think that its only those who deliberately abuse substances like this that suffer the consequences, but really we are all at risk through a simple lack of understanding.

I know that I've done exactly the same as this boy seems to have done, and used these products in a relatively small, non ventilated area. You just don't think what can happen. You think that it will never happen to you. Lets hope that people will now think twice about simple things like this in future-I know I have.