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t;;~o~;N,'gf~b;:f-:'R~;:-'~r H E' C U 5 TO- Mi: --i, ~:.,}: _~:',::"';..:-:_~:>;~.;'.;";.:~'~ :~';..".:.._' ':-- ~;t....:I: ~ 5 -/ -1~ Dressed to Kill by Shelly Reese Dry cleaning and hair coloring use chemicals that may raise one's risk of cancer. But the average American's passion for fashion blows these concerns away. Agency, but it has been labeled a HEALTH RISKS AND "probable human carcinogen" by that agency's Office of THE ENVIRONMENT Research and Development. The National Institute for OFTEN GET SHOVED Occupational Safety and Health, which found elevated levels of ASIDE. esophageal, intestinal, and bladder cancer in dry-cleaning workers, calls perc a "potential human car- cinogen;' Now consider what's in a product used by 20 to 40 percent of American women-hair coloring. The major chemical brands of hair color use compounds similar to those found in coal tar. While numerous studies have produced contradictory findings, several suggest a link between prolonged use of dark shades and non- Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph tissue; and W ell-heeled Americans routine- ly agonize over whether or not to put sour cream on a baked potato. They may also refuse to put pesti- cides on their lawn. But when a product enhances their appearance or makes their clothes look better, the quick fix beats health or the environment every time. Consider that essential aid to IN THE DAILY the upscale wardrobe-dry cleaning. The vast majority of WHIRL OF ERRANDS dry cleaners use percloroethyl- ene, or "perc;' to clean their AND ACTIVITIES, clothes. The solvent is not for- mally classified as a cancer- CONCERNS ABOUT causing agent by the U.S. Environmental Protection About one In six Americans sees fumes as a serious cause of air pollution. Concern is slightly higher than average among high school graduates, perhaps because they are most likely to work near fumes. multiple myeloma, a malignancy of bone-marrow cells that produce antibodies. So far, few consumers are paying attention to these findings because they see no reasonable alternative to the products. But alternative products are emerging, and the public's concern may be growing. In the near future, dry cleaning and hair coloring could go the way of beef, tobacco, and other products that struggle against a turning tide of public opinion. IGNORING THE RISKS If affluent, well-educated Americans wear dry-cleaned Shelly Reese is a freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. clothes, dye their hair, and think nothing of it, why are 22 American Demographics May 1998 ,,)