Business Notes LEGISLATION

Time was when monthly bills were simply an affront to one's wallet. Now they can be an assault on the senses as well. Cosmetic and fragrance manufacturers have taken to packing heavily scented promotional material into the envelopes carrying statements from credit-card companies and retailers. Fashion magazines have gone aromatic too, surrounding readers with unsolicited bouquets.

Irked by the trend, a New York state senator has proposed a law that would require an odor-proof wrapper for the fragrant flyers. "A lot of people have been suffering in silence," says senator Martin Connor, who cites 120 complaint letters. Constituents who suffer from allergies, asthma and migraine headaches claim the scented ads aggravate their symptoms. In a New York hearing last week, perfumers defended the ads. Said Michael Petrina, an industry spokesman: "We know of no scientific data linking such samples to any significant threat to the public health."