Scratch'n'Sniff Postage Stamps

Well, all the other countries have done it! Why not us? On June 20th, the U.S.P.S. will release its first-ever scratch-n-sniff postage stamps. The vibrant popsicle watercolor stamps by artist Margaret Berg will have a mystery scent that will be revealed at the First Day Issue Ceremony. Sadly, just one scent for all ten of the different designs. It'll probably be a fruit scent, like watermelon, but I'm hoping for a cotton candy type smell. Other guesses are chocolate and cola, but come on, it'll definitely be on the more sugary side. Just look at those stamps and try telling me they smell like chocolate. If you're in Austin, you can attend the stamp ceremony at the Thinkery Children's Museum, but if you're anywhere else, they do plan to live-stream it via their Facebook page. 

Comments

[Cynthia]

I'll stick with the elegant new US Airmail stamps. No scratch n sniff for me.

[rebecca]

hey i have a question, i've always wondered why the "forever" is sort of scratched over on american stamps, why is that?

[Donovan Beeson]

Thats because those are reproductions. They dont want people trying to use them as postage. On the actual stamps, the word is clear.

[Katherine]

I've been waiting for these! I didn't even realize they were scratch and sniff! One of the performing arts orgs in the area had a whole Popsicle themed brochure for their summer programs and I saved it for some great mail art.

[jay]

his is going to hurt alot of people with MCS and allergies to fragrance:

http://www.csn-deutschland.de/blog/en/open-letter-perfumed-stamps-constrain-people-with-disabilities/

[Alan B]

Will the stamp catalogues like Scotts and Gibbons have to have separate columns for 'mint scratched' or 'used unsniffed'?

[Jeanne]

This is a long post…but please read and share FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF US ALL, THANK YOU!
To help keep TOXIC scented “scratch and sniff” stamps OUT of our USPS mail...I'd like to share research I sent to the USPS, CDC and Thinkery Museum:

Dear Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General and CEO of our United States Postal Service, Troy Livingston, CEO and Patricia Brown, Director Thinkery Children's Museum,

I'm writing to you all today on behalf of everyone whose health and safety are in danger by the new "Scratch and Sniff" scented stamps announced yesterday, May 21, 2018 as already being in production and to be issued officially in a dedication ceremony on June 20, 2018 at Thinkery Children’s Museum.

See: https://thinkeryaustin.org/special-events/ (click on "Stamp Ceremony")

Millions of citizens of not just the United States of America but world-wide who suffer from MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) and many related conditions such as ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), Fibromyalgia, Asthma and other respiratory diseases, plus children and adults with issues including Sensory Processing Disorder as connected to Autism Spectrum Disorders, to name just a few, are already adversely affected by the toxic chemical contents of artificial fragrances as in these stamps!

See: http://www.chemicalsensitivityfoundation.org
See: https://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-processing-disorder-checklist.html

The most insidious aspect of this product concept is the marketing of them to children whose developing bodies are potentially the most vulnerable of all.
See: http://cehn.org/our-work/eco-healthy-child-care/ehcc-faqs/fragrances/

The USPS's proposed toxic scented stamps pose a real and gravely dangerous THREAT to babies, infants and children who are much more likely to mistake their appealing scent for actual food and ingest them and the paper they are adhered to which is a definite choking hazard causing injury or even death.

See: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/news/sa-safety-warning-over-sweet-smelling-scented-erasers

Is the USPS willing to risk the health and safety of our youngest and most vulnerable members of society over a marketing gimmick that is known to be unsafe on so many levels?

According to the New York State Department of Health, choking ranks fourth among the leading causes of unintentional death in children 5 and under. At least one child in the United States reportedly dies from choking every five days. Choking occurs when a foreign object blocks the airway, causing the inability to breathe. An obstructed airway can quickly lead to severe complications, including brain damage and death.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under 3 are especially at risk of choking due to the fact that they have a small airway and a more difficult time chewing and swallowing food. Small children also tend to put things in their mouth.

Paper can be a choking hazard to babies because babies will bite off and suck and chew pieces of paper, which can become lodged in their throat and choked on. Therefore newspapers, magazines, mail and any other sources of paper around your home are all potential sources.

See: https://www.livestrong.com/article/532717-what-size-is-considered-to-be-a-choking-hazard/
See: https://mommybites.com/col1/baby/baby-choking-hazards/

Is is imperative that production of these stamps be discontinued NOW and NOT be allowed to cross-contaminate our entire mail supply which is inevitable especially considering the high-speed automated processing machinery involved which will undoubtedly release these proven toxic substances that include endocrine and neurotoxicants!

As a federal agency the United States Postal Service should PROTECT its customers! Other government agencies who recognize the health and safety dangers of toxins such as fragrance chemicals are the CDC and the ADA.

See: https://cleanerindoorair.org/environmental-illness/cdc-fragrance-free-policy/
See: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-ada-guidelines-fragrance-sensitivity-workplace-live-rahul

Your policies actually recognize the dangers of chemical contaminants and according to USPS regulations include: "Any matter that is a source of an obnoxious odor is nonmailable" and "A fragrance advertising sample i.e., any matter normally acceptable in the mail but containing a fragrance advertising sample, is permitted in the mail only if it is sealed, wrapped, treated, or otherwise prepared in a manner reasonably designed to prevent individuals from being unknowingly or involuntarily exposed to the sample"
See: https://pe.usps.com/archive/html/dmmarchive20030810/C024.htm

Based on documented evidence of identical health risks from scented stamps issued in other countries such as Germany, how can the USPS and CDC GUARANTEE that toxic fragrances in these stamps will NOT become exposed during storage, transit or in vending machines and release these proven health damaging chemicals?

See: http://www.csn-deutschland.de/blog/en/open-letter-perfumed-stamps-constrain-people-with-disabilities/

This issue of mass-contamination of our entire mail was noted by respected journalists in recent New York Times news coverage who asked "Will applying postmarks accidentally release the smells? Will our mail end up stinking like fruit?"

See: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/us/scratch-sniff-stamps-usps-frozen.html

The postal service is not just "any business" though. It is an ESSENTIAL connection tool that is not "optional" for many important documents despite the changes of our current and future "digital age"!

I personally have only LOVED our USPS my entire life! Generations of families have enjoyed all the very real and tangible benefits of mail and other postal services including the excitement of collecting and using stamps.

We all want ONLY to continue to have that same confidence and interconnectedness provided by our USPS without fear and threat to our individual and collective well-being!

Our nation's history itself is embodied in decades of the most incredible dedication, devotion and diligence the employees of the USPS have given this country and all others it connects to and they also deserve to be protected from these toxic exposures in their work!

We are imploring you to STOP TOXIC FRAGRANCED STAMPS as a marketing concept NOW and "FOREVER"...

PLEASE ACT TO KEEP US ALL SAFE!

Respectfully,

[Diane Willard]

While I understand the appeal of this idea, please realize the potential for harming millions of people with this product. Many folks suffer from multiple chemical sensitivities. Life is hard enough for those who suffer from this debilitating disease, please don't make it worse for them. Thank you.

[Jamie H]

Please, there is no need to add more chemicals in circulation going to the general public. There are MANY people allergic to synthetic scents that will be knocked out for days or weeks after one short exposure to the chemicals.

[Jacqueline]

What is the fragrance made of? If it's synthetic chemicals, those are no-nos for me and anyone with sensitivities to artificial fragrances; that's about 1/4 of the population according to most studies.

[karen]

Love these! I've been waiting for them. Finally something colorful and fun - perfectly timed for summer!