Firms to Blame for Toxic Fumes at Base

It’s shameful that ROTC students have been blamed for their potentially fatal brush with hydrazine (“70 Exposed to Fumes From Chemical Mix at Navy Base,” Aug. 12).

Ajax cleansers, chlorine bleach and ammonia, unfortunately, are just a few of the widely used toxic cleaning agents on the market today. Practically every home in this country boasts a wide assortment, but how many people know about the deadly consequences that can result when they are mixed?

Manufacturers fail to conspicuously post warnings on containers, and the print is so fine that you need a magnifying glass to read it. Marketing campaigns create an illusion of safety. A TV commercial depicts a woman inhaling the wonderful floral scent recently added to a well-known bleach product. Ads like this one lull people into a false sense of security and literally brainwash them into believing that household chemicals are benign. This kind of ignorance is an accident waiting to happen.

Manufacturers’ negligence, and the poor judgment of individuals who put these chemicals into the hands of teenagers, are responsible.

TERRI GAISHIN

Camarillo