Axe Body Spray Axed From High School

Boy this really stinks! A Bethlehem, PA teenager whose allergic reaction to Axe Body Spray prompted officials at his high school to ask students to stop using the fragrance is now being taught at home. Freedom High School in Bethlehem this week asked students to stop using Axe as a cologne or fragrance due to a student's allergic reaction. "The purpose of this posting is to make all parents, staff and students aware of a medical issue involving a Freedom High School student having an extreme allergy to Axe Body Spray. This allergy is potentially life threatening for this student," read a statement on the school's website. "My request to all Freedom Family members is that we take into consideration this student's allergy to Axe Body Spray and refrain from using it as your cologne or fragrance of choice while attending Freedom High School."

      On Wednesday, Rosa Silk said the student who suffered the reaction was her son, 15-year-old Brandon Silk. The family says his throat closed up three times after breathing in the smell, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. "I started feeling like my throat close up and then hives breaking out on my arm," the freshman said. A nurse reportedly had to use an EpiPen on him before he was transported to the hospital for the latest incident. The station added he's been treated for this allergy since 2011, and is taking several kinds of steroids for treatment. For now, he's being taught at home to reduce his exposure.

      Unilever, which makes Axe, says it is looking into the report. The company says in a statement that the safety and well-being of users "is always our first priority" and consumers with concerns should call the toll-free number on the back of the package. Allergies to fragrances can cause sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, headaches, inability to concentrate, dizziness, breathing difficulties, wheezing, and skin reactions such as itching, hives, and rashes, according to WebMD. So do your kids use Axe? Do they use too much of it? Any “reactions” to it like this story? Do kids in general use too much body spray or perfume?

You Gotta Be Kidding!

There are technical problems aboard yet another Carnival Cruise ship! The Tampa-based Carnival Legend is having trouble with its propulsion system and will have to skip today's stop in Grand Cayman. The ship is expected to arrive on schedule Sunday morning in Florida but plans for Sunday afternoon's sailing are still unclear. Passengers are being given partial credits and discounts on future cruises. The Legend's sister ship, the Carnival Dream, is stuck in St. Maarten with an electrical problem. The cruise line is flying most of those passengers back to Orlando. Carnival said passengers on the sailing "will receive a refund equivalent to three days of the voyage and 50% off a future cruise." Those on the March 16 cruise, which will probably be cancelled, get a full refund and 25% off a future seven-day cruise. Non-refundable transportation will be reimbursed.

Oh, No! Not Again!

Here we go again! Passengers aboard the "Carnival Dream" reportedly say their Caribbean cruise is turning into a nightmare.  CNN reports calls from passengers who say the ship is beset with power outages and overflowing toilets.  The ship is docked on St. Maarten, in the eastern Caribbean and passengers say they aren't being allowed to go ashore.  Last month another Carnival ship lost power after an engine room fire and drifted in the Gulf of Mexico before being towed to Mobile, Alabama. Would incidents like this make you think twice before taking a cruise?