[Chris_H]

I've just finished backstage work exp. with an amdram production of the Wizard of Oz, during this, I was in a confined room with a smoke machine for 5 mins and then on the wings next to a big beasty smoke machine which seemed to throw more smoke into the wings than on stage.
Anyway, just wondering if anyone has ever heard of medical side effects after 'prolonged' exposure to la maitre low lying fog as since I finished I've devepoled a really swolen throat and chapped lips (I was talking to other crew members about the chapped lips and aparently the fog dries out your lips).

Thanks


Chris


(I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section)

[TomLyall]

well I cant imagine its great for you...

however it reminds me of the age old problem of actors thinking they should cough because of stage smoke, especially when your working in the amdram business....

I thought it couldnt be any worse but I recently worked with a cast of 7 - 17 year olds on a youth arts production of Godspell, it seems quite a large majority of the younger cast members found the smoke such a distraction during the tech that they had to turn round and look at the machine...

[Brian]

Hi Chris,

have a look here

Smoke Info at ESTA

[Chris_H]

Cheers Brian

[Techno_Monkey]

Only that most audience seem to start to cough well before it has even reached them!! (that REALLY does my head in!).

I dont find it does anything to me, except smell really nice!

[sam.henderson]

tomlyall, on 22 Feb 2004, 10:26 PM, said:

however it reminds me of the age old problem of actors thinking they should cough because of stage smoke, especially when your working in the amdram business....

This is aa pet hate of mine. Actors (moslty youths) just cough and cough just because they think they have to!!

I hate it

Just a little nag to get an anger monkey off my back

Sam

[RJS]

I have never heard of it causing a swollen throat, are you sure you are not allergic to one of the ingredients?

The coughing is a mental thing, you see smoke and start coughing it can be really annoying. one show I was doing there was this elderly couple who wouldnt stop complaining about the smoke even though there wasnt any near them.

[TeeJay]

That ties in with a story that I heard tell where a theatre received a complaint about the smoking onstage during a production - and the cigarette was NEVER actually lit!

While I tend to agree that coughing at the sight of smoke is a psychosomatic (sp?) response, (and I've witnessed enough audiences begin to reaction long before it actually reaches them, as have many here, I wager) the fact is is that there is an increased level of particles and chemicals within the smoke (like d'oh) so there is an increased chance of a reaction occurring.

<PERSONAL> - I tend to think that theatrical smoke and fog is far safer to breathe than smog, or to those with allegies being outdoors on a high pollen count day. </PERSONAL>

IMHO, of course

[S.M]

an actor complaining to the teacher that it was effecting her asthmatic illness caused my lighting design and effects to be ruined because I was no longer allowed to use the haze machine. Grrrr

Now come off it, I used the haze to enhance the light beams, you could hardly see the stuff when the light wasn't hard focused through it.

[vinny baby]

I hit these problems quite often, yes usally with the older generation or amdram. Best bit is when a cast member complains about the smoke, then as soon as the interval comes, you ask them where they are going, and they say "for a cigi" that realy makes me boil.

I can say that yes dry ice, or cold fog can give you dryed lips, and also it can make you cough, because of it being cold in your lungs.

also I do find that if im working in a smoky atmosphere for to long, I often wake up the next day with a sore throat. Specialy if using cheap fluids.

vince

[SparkySteve]

there was a test done for some tv experiment,... they lay 30 people down on the floor with blindfolds on, then they filled the room with 'clean' smoke and then asked the people to take off their blindfolds..... all but one of them started coughing ..... its all psycoscimatic!

[RJS]

vinny baby, on 25 Feb 2004, 08:31 PM, said:

I can say that yes dry ice, or cold fog can give you dryed lips, and also it can make you cough, because of it being cold in your lungs.

also I do find that if im working in a smoky atmosphere for to long, I often wake up the next day with a sore throat. Specialy if using cheap fluids.

Yeh, really cheap fluids maybe but the le-maitre fluids are rarely a problem.

[PeterT]

vinny baby, on 25 Feb 2004, 08:31 PM, said:

I can say that yes dry ice, or cold fog can give you dryed lips, and also it can make you cough, because of it being cold in your lungs.

No It's because you're breathing in Carbon dioxide gas and that'll generally cause you to cough (and if it reaches 9% concentration it'll cause you to become unconcious)

[Ellis]

Check out the COSHH data sheets on The LeMaitre web site for any known risks.

[Ike]

PeterT, on 26 Feb 2004, 01:14 PM, said:

vinny baby, on 25 Feb 2004, 08:31 PM, said:

I can say that yes dry ice, or cold fog can give you dryed lips, and also it can make you cough, because of it being cold in your lungs.

No It's because you're breathing in Carbon dioxide gas and that'll generally cause you to cough (and if it reaches 9% concentration it'll cause you to become unconcious)

I would say it is more likely to be the cold wet fog. The fog is not actually CO2 but simply water. The CO2 usually sits at a lower level.