# Should pheromones be illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 2, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109 "2003-09-02T12:01:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/1 "2003-09-02T12:01:43Z")
I was just reading [this article](http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/245/science/Looking_for_love_potion_number_nine+.shtml) about pheromones in today’s Boston Globe and it got me thinking (always a dangerous prospect, I realize)… Assuming for the sake of argument that there are such things as human pheromones, should their use be restricted or regulated? If they really worked as described, I think they would basically be mood altering drugs that are used on other people against their will (or, at the very least, without their knowledge). It’s not legal to slip, say, a dose of ecstacy into somebody’s drink, or give them an anti-depressant without their knowledge and consent. Why, then, should it be legal to expose somebody to a chemical that can potentially alter their mood just as much, if not more so? Any thoughts? Regards, Barry ---
**Author:** ![TVAA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TVAA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVAA)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/2 "2003-09-02T12:09:14Z")
It’s worth noting that the effects of low levels of pheremones is quite weak, although there have been isolated reports of researchers having strange experiences when exposed to larger concentrations. The pheremones are physiologically harmless at low concentrations as far as we can determine, unlike Ecstacy or anti-depressants. Instead of altering the mechanisms underlying neural function, they’re merely a form of stimulus that we sense and respond to. That said: things like background music and color schemes can have effects of people’s emotional states, cognition, and behavior. Should they be outlawed as well? It’s been demonstrated that the beliefs of exam proctors as to the intelligence of the test takers can affect their scores. Should opinions be outlawed? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/3 "2003-09-02T12:28:10Z")
Talk about creating a problem to devise a solution. Pheromones will end up on the same dustbin of bad advertising ideas as subliminal messages. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Owes\_Bess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c37758/32.png) [@Alan\_Owes\_Bess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Owes_Bess)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/4 "2003-09-02T12:34:41Z")
If pheromones are produced by humans, how can they be banned? Can we ban human sweat? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/5 "2003-09-02T12:51:25Z")
I think ultimately, banning sweat glands is the answer; if we outlaw sweat glands, only outlaws will have them ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/6 "2003-09-02T12:59:24Z")
Of course we’ll have to ban sweat! It’ll be kinda like Minority Report. Sweat Squad, LAPD rises at six o’clock to track down the cities worst sweat/pheromone offenders. Armed to the teeth with 1920’s Style Death Rays, they hop in their undercover vehicles, Ford Pintos. Cruisig the streets filled with liberated citizens, free of sweat after a ductectomy, they think about how proud their mothers must be, knowing that they rid the world of the filthy contanimant that is the human pheromone. Spotting the offender, it is clear they are not dealing with a normal sweathog. In front of them stands an ethnically-ambiguous but slightly dark-skinned individual with a vague East European accent and obvious ties to the Nazi party. After consulting with Jerry Bruckheimer, they decide to blow up several surrounding buildings and then peacefully arrest the guy, thereby sending him to reprogramming scenters, where he will learn that sweat free means living free, and a ductectomy will be provided free of charge as a public service. The squad just goes quietly home. After all, it’s all in a days work. Now, does it make better sense?😃 ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/7 "2003-09-02T13:04:34Z")
Ah, they’re 1920’s style “Death Rays”. ---
**Author:** ![TVAA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TVAA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVAA)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/8 "2003-09-02T14:40:28Z")
Of course, the OP assumes for the sake of argument that the things actually work. (You’re not doing much to encourage the debate, guys.) ---
**Author:** ![blinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@blinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinx)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/9 "2003-09-02T14:42:30Z")
godzillatemple - thanks for providing me with todays uncontrollable laugh 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/10 "2003-09-02T14:47:38Z")
I’ve always thought that this was the weak point in the phermone ads. Since it’s human phermones, I already have them. Why should I buy some more sweat? ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-pheromones-be-illegal/199109/11 "2003-09-02T15:00:17Z")
Well, supposedly, the pheromones are concentrated and refined far more than they would occur naturally in normal sweat.