The Toronto District School Board is considering making schools fragrance-free, but for now will concentrate on encouraging students and staff to be sensible about using scented products.

Trustees have voted to establish a Fragrance-free Environment Work Group to investigate whether to ban scented products such as lotions, perfumes and deodorants.

The group will look into the costs and legal implications of making schools scent-free.

Until that happens, trustees agreed at a meeting Wednesday to start a campaign to educate staff and students on the perils of strong scents.

As part of that measure, if a staff member or student complains about a scent, the school must take immediate action to free the space of the "offending chemical-based scent."

Fragrances are known to trigger allergic reactions among asthmatics, and can cause dizziness, headaches and other negative effects on people sensitive to scents.

The motion for a scent-free school system was put forward by trustee Josh Matlow.

The board's human resources committee report notes that the move comes as scent-free personal-care products become more widely available at comparable prices.

The Halifax Regional School Board started a scent-free policy in June 1997, a year after the city launched a "no-scent" public education campaign.

Other school boards have chosen to implement awareness programs. The Upper Canada District School Board did so in September 2005.