Anyone else not surprised?

Middle School can be a weird and confusing time… for teachers. All our students are changing and growing and discovering things right before our eyes. Then all of a sudden our eyes start to sting and burn because one of our students discovered AXE body spray. And by “discover” I mean they use so much of it that a gas cloud of putrid-smelling fumes hangs over them wherever they go.

Take the recent news in Florida as an example, where last week, the fire department and EMS were called on the scene of a pulled-over school bus driver who made an emergency “hazardous materials” call. Multiple students were complaining of breathing problems and a “noxious odor” coming from somewhere on the bus. 

When crews arrived, they evacuated all 30 Middle Schoolers and worked to find the source of the problem. What they ended up finding was a boy and an empty can of AXE body spray.

Once I got down the line, I was able to determine it. Before I could even tell [the student] what I was looking for, I made a motion like I was spraying, and he handed me an empty bottle of the black Axe Body Spray. I could smell it all over him.”

-Parrish Fire District Division Chief Mike Williamson

Yes, you read that right. A student unleashed an entire can of AXE body spray and the stench was so bad that emergency crews had to get involved after several students were experiencing respiratory problems. Making everyone smell whatever unholy aroma emanated from that can was bad enough… but health concerns are a whole different animal.

No one knows why boys think AXE body spray smells good. Or why dousing their entire body with it would be a good thing. No teacher has ever heard another student say, “Wow, that body spray smells really nice!” Mostly, the reactions from classmates are more like:

“What is that smell? It’s burning my eyes!”

or…

“I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.”

Teachers are responsible for educating our students on a lot more than the core curriculum these days, and life lessons like “try not to kill your classmates (and the teacher) with a body spray stink bomb” ends up being one of those daily lessons, believe it or not. Not only does it smell awful, but it can also be dangerous to others if it’s not used in moderation. And if you teach children of any age, you already know that “moderation” is not in their vernacular.

It’s a problem that needs correcting because it’s an issue that… well… stinks.