• San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, December 6, 2006 11:16 AM

Cookie-scented strips for a new "Got Milk?" campaign in San Francisco were removed from bus shelters yesterday, and officials are considering a ban on advertisers' efforts to use the powerful sense of smell on waiting passengers. The idea was that once people got a whiff of cookies, they'd hanker for a glass of milk.

The Municipal Transportation Agency, which runs the city's public-transit system, asked that the aromatic campaign be discontinued immediately. The action came after activists complained that the aroma could trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in people who are scent sensitive, according to MTA executive director Nathaniel Ford.

"The 'Got Milk?' scented bus shelters were intended to be a tasteful change from the frequent blasts of exhaust that permeate the air around some of San Francisco's bus shelters," according to the California Milk Processor Board.

Stephen Shinn, a CBS Outdoor vice president, said his company would comply with the request. However, he said the concerns were unfounded.

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