Peanut-Free Schools: The Debate Goes On
Filed in archive Food Allergies , Living with Allergies by ruth on January 12, 2008
You cannot equate the dangers of allergies with that of drinking a pop and eating a bag of chips. There seems to be a wide misconception out there about peanut allergies that pops up over and over again. When a child with a peanut allergy comes in contact with a peanut product, they do not experience a simple rash, bumps on the skin, itchiness, headaches, or watery eyes. This seems to be what people like Ms. Crawford seem to think. It is this kind of ignorance that keeps the parents of children with allergies up at night. Children with peanut allergies experience anaphylactic reactions, which include, but are not limited to, uncontrolled vomiting, swellingAnd if you're still not convinced it is necessary to keep schools peanut free, here's something to think about:in the face, neck and throat, and closing of air passages. They can stop breathing. They can die.
For the purpose of enlightening Ms. Crawford and all other parents who are still in the dark about peanut allergies, let me explain it using this analogy. Imagine having your child sit down to eat in their classroom and somebody went around and sprinkled rat poison on the desk around your child's food and then told them to be careful not to eat it or even touch it. Peanuts are the equivalent of poison to my son and no reports of "inconvenience" for a fellow parent are going to make me want to have your child "learn" about allergies from the death of my son.To those of you whose kids do not have food allergies, I ask you: Is it really too much of an effort to send your kid a peanut-free lunch box?
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parenting schools peanut+allergy food+allergy schooling peanut+butter allergies peanut+free
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