Peanut ban in school?

[Autumn2004]

We are fortunate to not have to deal with peanut allergies but we have a different disorder, celiac disease. My daughter gets a horribly itchy rash for weeks with blisters and she gets diarrhea the whole day, body aches for up to a week and migraines. Basically stomach flu with a hangover that can last for days or some others weeks. Its genetic I have it too. We have to avoid all wheat, oats, barley and rye. On the outside it looks like an allergy but on the inside it takes months to heal from a microscopic amount of it. If she is not kept away from it she has a 300 times the normal risk of colon cancer and many, many autoimmune disorders including lupus, ms, and glaucoma. It may seem simple to keep it away but gluten is in almost everything it seems like. In soaps, dishwashing soap, lotions, playdoh, sticker adhesive, so many things that I cant list them all.

It sucks, you feel like an outcast. I dont even go to dinners at thanksgiving and christmas or weddings unless its at my mom's. Why? Because its awkward, I cant eat their food in case they handled bread before they cut up that fruit, or if they touched bread with the knife with the mayonnaise in the jar. You cant keep on weight alot of times and people assume you have an eating disorder, or they would stare at you why you bring your own food to a wedding. We never go out to eat its too risky.

My daughter is being home schooled, I have debated this thoroughly and hate the idea of it making her feel more like an outcast but I dont feel I have a choice. I wish for once I could be bent for once in a while and safely go out to eat or let someone else cook for me which hasnt happened in years.

I feel like it should be bent a little and let the school be peanut free. Yes, they cant accodomate for everyone but this is a very serious risk of a fatality. Personally I would homeschool but I know for others this isnt an option. Im thankful I live in a state where it makes it very easy to homeschool and Im sending for materials so she gets a diploma, not just a ged.

For the people not wanting a ban and think its unfair, wait it may happen to your child. Celiac disease is not always shown at childhood and neither are allergies.You will then see how you wish it had a ban when your child is so restricted and all this ban would mean would be for them to eat once they get home. Very Easy for the other family!


Angels not forgotten- Im sorry you are dealing with this.

 

[LinasK]

The problem goes beyond eating peanut butter for lunch. What if a child has peanut butter for breakfast and touches the child with the peanut allergy, or sneezes on them, or touches a water fountain, or just smells of peanut butter? If a child has an airborne peanut allergy they can be harmed by any of those things. You can't expect every parent not to ever give their child peanut butter just because someone is allergic. You can't be sure that if a child eats peanut butter for breakfast they are going to wash their hands and change their clothes (I have heard of schools asking parents to do this). I would not take the risk if my child were that highly allergic to peanuts. I do know many children with peanut allergies, but none are airborne allergies.

My daughter's preschool did require that and they made it very clear to all the parents at the start of the school year. It was a nut-free school because they had had a child with peanut allergies previously. It was a pain in the *advertiser censored* when I had to be snack mom, couldn't even bring anything made on an assembly line with peanuts, but it is a deadly allergy.

 

[twinkiesmom]

You can not legally relegate allergic children to a separate room or a separate school. Peanut allergy is covered under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Schools banning peanuts are on the conservative side of following the LAW.

As far as the comment about the smoking ban...No one cares what you choose to put into your body. But the smoke coming out of you is polluting the air the rest of us have to breathe, including the poor restaurant workers. Don't tell them to get another job to reduce their cancer risk...the smoke belongs outside.

 

[reportertype]

We can ban anything and it still won't guarantee that these allergic reactions won't happen in school. Peanuts are common. It seems they're all over the place! As a teacher, this drives me nuts! (Oops! No pun intended!) How can we foresee every substance that could cause a reaction? So, say we ban it. Next it will be something else. I have heard a lot of talk about banning perfume and lotions and anything with any scent whatsoever. Good grief! I feel for these kids but the fact is their "normal" doesn't include peanuts and so somehow, they have to learn to protect themselves, no matter what. I think schools should help, but total banning and liability for teachers is just too much. At our school we have kids without lunches many days of the week. Yes, they are on the free and reduced program but even then, sometimes parents don't fill out the paperwork or whatever. Guess what we make them? You got it. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's cheap enough for our school to always have on hand without refrigeration and it's nutritious. We've had some kids who are allergic and we've learned the procedures. Honestly, if they are allergic and forget lunch, if we don't chip in out of our own pocket and leave the building to get them something, they don't eat. I have done that many times. I will not do it any longer, however, in light of recet attitudes and events. How do I know what I get them doesn't have trace amounts of peanuts? Then I will be sued, or my district will, or worse - I could even be charged with a crime!

Eve

This pretty much sums up what I was thinking. You can ban peanut products from a place, but you'd still have the danger that someone wasn't paying attention or ignored the ban. It could be that some kid slipped something into his lunch sack he wasn't supposed to, then got it to school and bang, the poor kid with the allergy gets a hold of it. Geez, I know people who have the same problem, but with shellfish. That could also kill them.

 

[Floh]

There was a thread started about this same subject a year or so ago. It got quite heated.

And what was your opinion regarding banning peanut poducts in schools during that thread and has your opinion changed since then?

 

[Floh]

Not everyone has the resources or time to homeschool.

Then life for those with a child potentially at risk from peanuts is very hard indeed.

problem is, just because many (in this thread even) are sympathetic to the children who are in danger and would not have a problem 'sacrificing' peanut butter (i hate the stuff personally), that would hardly cover the entire country.

the fact is many people couldn't give a damn and would continue until it became totally illegal. hard, but true. do you believe the powers that be will make peanut products illegal?

i don't, so therefore the problem has to be dealt with in another way, 'resources' or no.

bear in mind i am not the one saying this is how it's got to be (nor is anyone else on this thread). i am merely pointing out raising points like people not having resources to home school children at risk would be regarded, by many, as "tough", "too bad". they couldn't care less. what could be done about that other than legislation.

the food industry would never let banning of peanut products pass when one considers how much is in how many foodstuffs.

 

[Nore]

HARTFORD, Conn.*--A 6-year-old's extreme allergy is pitting concerns about the boy's safety against the right of his schoolmates to enjoy an American classic -- a peanut butter sandwich.

A nationwide increase in peanut allergies is prompting a debate playing out in his small elementary school in Seymour and across the country. But while some school districts have decided to bar anyone from bringing peanut products to school, Seymour and others say such rules are unfair to the rest of the students.
"I think more and more people are looking for protection from cradle to grave, and I really don't believe that's what society is all about," said Seymour school board member James Garofolo. "I really don't believe we can protect people ... from all the things out there that may pose harm to them."

Continued: http://www.boston.com/news/local/co...gies_spark_debate_over_peanut_bans_in_school/


I don't believe there should be a peanut ban in schools. people shouldn't controlled in this manner. what's next to be banned?

and what is causing this 'nationwide increase in peanut allergies' btw?

please excuse me if you think me callous.

----------------
My greatgrandson is extremely allergic to peanuts.I am ot talking about a cough or a sneeze,he will go intto an anaphylactic shock and could die.If I could avoid using anything in public that could cause another person to die~I would limit the use to my home.Our school has two epipens for him,one in the office and one in his school room. After using the pen there is 20 minutes to get him to a hospital or he can die. My great nephew has it also and nearly died from it.Giving up a peanut or any other food is a small price to pay for a life.The Peanut allergies are not limited to children, many adults have it also.It is not a new allergy.

 

[Floh]

----------------
My greatgrandson is extremely allergic to peanuts.I am ot talking about a cough or a sneeze,he will go intto an anaphylactic shock and could die.If I could avoid using anything in public that could cause another person to die~I would limit the use to my home.Our school has two epipens for him,one in the office and one in his school room. After using the pen there is 20 minutes to get him to a hospital or he can die. My great nephew has it also and nearly died from it.Giving up a peanut or any other food is a small price to pay for a life.The Peanut allergies are not limited to children, many adults have it also.It is not a new allergy.

Believe me, i, personally, am sympathetic and wouldn't have any problem dumping peanuts in their entirety whenever necessary. what i am saying is, not everyone would go with that thought. the law would have to change to make sure peanuts are gone out of foodstuffs forever. you think that's going to happen?

the peanut industry is HUGE.

 

[Paladin]

Even if they ban peanuts at school it's still no guarantee of this kids safety. Imagine a kid eating peanut butter toast for breakfast, no washing his hand, and high fiving an allergic kid...or getting traces of it on the monkey bars at school. It can still happen.

 

[Adrienne]

I think the parents of a kid who could die from a sneeze should consider homeschooling.

Jeana, You assume these parents have the ways or the means to homeschool. What if they don't? Their child has the RIGHT to an education. Your child does not have the right to a PB&J sandwich...

 

[Adrienne]

Even if they ban peanuts at school it's still no guarantee of this kids safety. Imagine a kid eating peanut butter toast for breakfast, no washing his hand, and high fiving an allergic kid...or getting traces of it on the monkey bars at school. It can still happen.

WHen my daughter was in first year preschool (3 Yo's), one of the kids had a peanut alergy. The school provided instructions for the other kids - one of those was that if you feed your child peanut products in the morning, you were asked to brush their teeth & wash their hands before bringing them to school. It was a pain at first, but through the year, I found it was no big deal. And the child was an absolute SWEETHEART, my daughter & everyone else in the class loved her. She was such a popular kid, & IMO the class would have had a great loss, had her parents decided to keep her "homeschooled". It was a small price to pay, for me, to avoid killing this child by feeding my child peanut products when she was around.

I seriously do not get why there is a debate here at all. These kids have every right to go to school.

 

[kgeaux]

I don't believe there should be a peanut ban in schools. people shouldn't controlled in this manner. what's next to be banned?

and what is causing this 'nationwide increase in peanut allergies' btw?

please excuse me if you think me callous.

I don't think you are callous. Maybe you just don't understand the dynamics of a peanut allergy. My 4th son---the one who is now suffering from a viral infection of the eye---has a peanut allergy. When he comes into contact with peanuts, his throat swells shut. He can't breathe. We're not talking a little discomfort, a rash or loose bowels, we are talking DEATH.

I think that most people don't know the severity of these allergies. They were almost non-existent when I went to school. It isn't just an allergy that you get a little rash from, this is serious stuff. It's amazing how much stuff has nuts in it or has been in contact with nuts or made in a facility that has nuts. None of these items can be eaten if you have a severe nut allergy. Most people don't read the ingredients and know whether or not the chocolate (or other food item) they used in a dish is okay or if it was made in a facility that also had nuts. So it's almost impossible for the mother or the kids to know what is in most items. My little nephews are very good about it, but during Christmas they were not allowed some of the items that were made. He made the comment that peanuts and peanut butter must be delicious because everybody eats it. Think of how much these kids cannot do because of their allergy. My sister can't take them out to most restaurants. They don't get to go on many playdates because the parents haven't and won't de-peanut their houses. They thought t-ball was safe. They still are involved but they have their own bats, etc. and use a lot of wipes. They don't get to go to birthday or other parties because of the threat, or, if they do, they can't usually eat the food.

It IS very difficult to protect a child from peanuts. My poor son wanted candy so badly when he was little, he wanted to eat what he saw his friends eating. But most candy, even if it doesn't contain peanuts, was made on a line that processed peanuts in another candy previously. Mcdonald's used to fry their french fries in peanut oil, so McDonald's was out. And the list of forbidden foods and restaurants goes on into infinity.

Matthew is 20 now, and I worry constantly that he will let his guard down and accidentally eat something and throw a full blown anaphylactic shock. We live in a climate that gets very, very hot in the summers, and the epi-pen has some strick temperature guidelines; I worry that his epi-pen will have gotten too hot and be ineffective.

Matthew IS very careful, he worries too. In fact, when his eye first began to hurt, he told me he had dreamed he ate a peanut and he was wondering if I thought he was having a psychosomatic reaction to the dream!

True, but doesn't that go both ways? Don't kids without allergies deserve to have a normal life as well, including bringing peanut butter snacks to schools? Why disrupt the majority of children to accomodate 1 or a few?

It does go both ways. But one parent is worried about whether her little darling can eat peanut butter for lunch, and the other parent is worried about whether her little darling will live through lunch.

You disrupt the majority because the impact on the few is a matter of life and death.

 

[Floh]

Jeana, You assume these parents have the ways or the means to homeschool. What if they don't? Their child has the RIGHT to an education. Your child does not have the right to a PB&J sandwich...

It's not Jeanna's law to make. she's only saying what i would believe the majority would say. seriously: if people want peanuts banned entirely, they'll have to get those who make laws on the case.

at the moment it would appear the law says a child DOES INDEED HAVE A RIGHT TO A PB&J SANDWICH.

 

[KatK]

Considering that for some, even smelling the breath of a person who has eaten peanuts can make them ill, I don't think it's odd, or bad that some schools have banned peanuts. You've read the "deadly kiss" case, right?

 

[Floh]

I seriously do not get why there is a debate here at all. These kids have every right to go to school.

Of course they do. now tell that to the nation. things will never change unless people passionate about change make it happen. because otherwise when something doesn't touch one, it goes unnoticed, unfortunately.

 

[calus_3]

You know me, I am not in favor of government mandating much but I agree with the ban.

My son has a milder form of peanut allergy in that he breaks out in hives if he eats it. However, the reactions to the allergy tend to get worse with each exposure. It could be that getting a good whiff of it will cause a major problem.

This isn't an issue of comfort, for some it is an issue of life or death. Some kids are so allergic that smelling it can cause major problems.

So this isn't just an issue of someone wanting to control the many for the comfort of a few.

The other issue is that my son is so freaking scared of dying, he is overly concerned about it. So there have been a couple incidents where the bully in the class has touched his arm with peanut butter. Yet another reason to ban it because kids will be kids. Had my son been more allergic like some, that could have possibly killed him.

Cal

 

[Floh]

You know me, I am not in favor of government mandating much but I agree with the ban.

My son has a milder form of peanut allergy in that he breaks out in hives if he eats it. However, the reactions to the allergy tend to get worse with each exposure. It could be that getting a good whiff of it will cause a major problem.

This isn't an issue of comfort, for some it is an issue of life or death. Some kids are so allergic that smelling it can cause major problems.

So this isn't just an issue of someone wanting to control the many for the comfort of a few.

The other issue is that my son is so freaking scared of dying, he is overly concerned about it. So there have been a couple incidents where the bully in the class has touched his arm with peanut butter. Yet another reason to ban it because kids will be kids. Had my son been more allergic like some, that could have possibly killed him.

Cal

That crossed my mind — the school bully. i knew it. so what to do? nationwide law banning peanuts and peanut products, it would seem.

i wonder what the percentage of those affected is? this is apparently lethal so it should clearly be outlawed, shouldn't it?

 

[pedinurse]

It would appear, this peanut allergy is so dangerous, it's hardly possible to guarantee sufferers couldn't come into contact with some peanut product or other in the world today. what can be done?

one cannot liken it to cigaretts or alcohol, IMO.

something is going on in this world that allergies can down people in this way. it's happening too much, too often. so that's a major point to be addressed: what's happened that people are being debilitated (and made dead in severe cases) by something like peanuts?

next point is, i don't believe we can go round banning things. apart from cigarettes - i'm a smoker - and alcohol - i'm all for that, as a matter of fact. i'd like to see alcoholic drinks wiped from the face of the earth and not because i'm allergic to them or just don't like them. i simply don't like the effect on society. no. not allergic. just addictive.

who would like to see something else banned and what, may i ask? :bang:

increased exposure predisposes one to an allergy. For instance, in asia a RICE allergy is one of the most common severe allergies. In the US, peanut butter is an extremely common allergy.

 

[IrishMist]

I disagree wholehardedly! I think a school teaching its students to be careful with peanut products around those with allegies sends a better message that ALL children matter-both those with allergies and without. If you ban the all peanut products, you are telling the children that those who are NOT allergic do not matter, just the "special" children with allergies. I think asking every other child in a school to not have any peanut products is sending a message that a school cannot responsiblity work out a solution. Where do you draw the line? People are allergic to many things--bees, perfumes, smoke, different foods etc. Do we ban perfume and beauty products from public places because one or two people may be allergic to it? Do we ban all sugar products because someone may have diabetes? Those with allergies or special health concerns should be thoroughly taught by their parents what they can and cannot consume. They should have wet wipes with them at all times to wipe their hands when being around others.

At my sons elementary school, every parent volunteer was taught about the peanut allergy and how to use an epipen. We were given pictures of those children with the allergies, so we know who they are. We have a "peanut-free" area of the cafeteria for those with allergies, and children without allergies can sit with their friends there as long as they do not have peanut products. A local business donated a years worth of hand wipes, which are on all lunch tables, and used for all children. They are required to wipe their hands after lunch and before they go to the playground. (This has also cutdown on illnesses at the school!) Every parent in our school has been educated on peanut allergies, and there is an approved list of snack foods that are allowed at school or in the classroom. No homemade products are allowed. We have seven kids with allergies, in a school of 1200, who have not had one peanut allergy related emergency, and it is because the whole school worked together to make the school environment safe for everyone. We have done this for seven years now. It may take alittle extra time and money, but it can be done!

This sounds like an excellent way to deal with the issue without causing undue stress on everyone else.

It seems to me that there are so many products that a peanut-allergic child must avoid that just banning PB&J sandwiches doesn't really cover the problem. So, perhaps there's another way to handle the issue? Again, it sounds like Julessleuther's school is an good example.

When my kids were in school, you couldn't bring snacks for the class that contained peanuts. (or red dye number something) That's fair. Why should an allergic child be left out of a classroom snack?

But this is different. You would have to ban peanut butter for everyone, and not just at lunch. The other kids couldn't have it for breakfast, either.

These children have to learn to be responsible for themselves. Instead of teaching them a victim mentality, they need to be taught to be proactive in taking care of themselves.

 

[Amraann]

Some of the problem here is that peanuts are in far more products then people realize.

I think the only solution is to have the child themselves KNOW they cannot eat certain foods ... The teacher well informed and an epi pen available.
Most classrooms require students to wash their hands after lunch (or more recently they keep little bottles of germx around)

Why not simply have a classroom with all the allergic children mixed with some regular ed children?
That is in complete compliance with ADA law as it would be considered mainstreaming.


ETA: for that matter a secluded class would not be against ADA laws. If the child were in such extreme danger that educating them with the normal population was a serious health risk then it would not be against the law to have them in their own classroom.
Also if a child is in such danger in a classroom setting due to health reasons the school district must provide a teacher to come into the home to teach that child and provide any other resources needed.
I am sorry to some who say "but my child does not want to feel different" ... The fact is your child IS different. IN the real world everyone is different, its really not a bad lesson to learn and plenty can be done by the parents to minimize that .. Mainly by having the frame of mind that different is simply different not neccesarly bad or wrong.