# Why 'CO gas'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341 "2012-04-10T03:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/1 "2012-04-10T03:53:45Z")
‘Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!’ That commercial plays a lot, which is irksome because I don’t feel I fall into that demographic group! Anyway, Life Alert says that their system can save you from ‘CO gas’. I saw a commercial from a different company/product that mentions carbon monoxide in it. So why would Life Alert have to specify ‘dangerous gas with initials!’ instead of just saying ‘carbon monoxide’? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/2 "2012-04-10T04:07:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!’ That commercial plays a lot, which is irksome because I don’t feel I fall into that demographic group! Anyway, Life Alert says that their system can save you from ‘CO gas’. I saw a commercial from a different company/product that mentions carbon monoxide in it. So why would Life Alert have to specify ‘dangerous gas with initials!’ instead of just saying ‘carbon monoxide’? I bet if Jay Leno did a Jaywalking segment and asked “what is carbon monoxide?” most of the answers would be something along the lines of “I dunno, a chemical” or “[that stuff you put in your laundry to get stains out](http://www.oxiclean.com/)” or “[that blue paper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_paper) that people used to make copies with.” ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/3 "2012-04-10T04:14:23Z")
Well it’s similar to saying CO₂ instead of carbon dioxide. Those are chemical symbols and not merely “initials”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/4 "2012-04-10T04:18:32Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Well it’s similar to saying CO₂ instead of carbon dioxide. > Those are chemical symbols and not merely “initials”. That’s true. It’s the addition of ‘gas’ at the end that makes it sound weird. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/5 "2012-04-10T04:37:37Z")
Why? At room temperature CO is a gas. Whats weird about that? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/6 "2012-04-10T05:12:02Z")
Maybe because adding “gas” makes the threat seem that much more insidious. No longer is it merely some environmental contaminant; now it’s psychologically closer to nerve gas. Impartial, scientifically sound risk analyses don’t move product, don’t y’know? ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/7 "2012-04-10T06:13:13Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Maybe because adding “gas” makes the threat seem that much more insidious. No longer is it merely some environmental contaminant; now it’s psychologically closer to nerve gas. > > Impartial, scientifically sound risk analyses don’t move product, don’t y’know? Well, it is insidious, being colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms every year to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. > **[Carbon monoxide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide#Indoor_pollution)** > > Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simplest carbon oxide. In coordination complexes, the carbon monoxide ligand is called carbonyl. It is a key ingredient in many processes in industrial chemistry. > The most common source of carbon monoxide is the partial combustion of carbon-containing com... ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-co-gas/618341/8 "2012-04-10T06:14:20Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Well, it is insidious, being colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms every year to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. > > [Carbon monoxide - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide#Indoor_pollution) I’m not doubting that it’s a potential danger, but that elderly people might not recognize it as such without the ample warnings and “gas of doom!” claims (what Alley Dweller said).