Aw nuts!

But, at least one expert wonders if schools are going too far, even creating hysteria over potential nut exposures. What's worse, schools may be perpetuating the problem by limiting exposure to nuts in non-allergic children.

"There's a disproportionate response that may be making things worse. First, by feeding the concern -- if a whole school is declared nut-free, how can you say to children that nuts aren't dangerous? And, second by contributing to sensitization," said Dr. Nicholas Christakis, the author of an editorial in the Dec. 12 issue of the British Medical Journal.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/h...bans-in-schools-may-be-spurring-hysteria.html

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

The media is going overboard to make this small time problem seem like it is the end of the world once again.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

That's fucked up. It is not fair to ban something for everyone. It's not like the other kids were giving them to the allergic ones or leaving them lying around where the allergic kids might get them all over their skin.

 

Visceral, I'm not sure you understand just how sensitive some people's peanut allergies can be. Any risk of accidental contact which could lead to the death of a child should be avoided, no? Why do the other kids have to eat peanuts at school? They can eat them all they like at home.

 

And when do you stop?

No more car rides, they might die in a car accident.

No more apples because there is a remote chance that the Child might choke to death.

No more furnaces because of the remote chance of malfunction because they might just die from CO poisoning?

Death is a remote possibility every second that you live, so to stop the remote chance that a child might die you ban everything

 

When the glaringly obvious is just too damn subtle

Anyone can die from a car accident.

Anyone can choke to death

Anyone can die of CO poisoning.

But not just anyone can die of peanut allergies.

Some might say I'm simply stating the obvious, but you've proven that such a basic, intuitive difference is too subtle to expect everyone to grasp it.

 

So, we all can die from something, so what is the difference between a allergy and any thing else?

 

You stop after you've removed peanuts from schools...

 

yeah, I don't know why some parents would be so outraged. :shrug: Is it selfishness or lack of education on the subject?
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=72520&highlight=peanuts

 

Haha, that actually happened in my school. 6 kids passed out and many were sent to the hospital for treatment. Thankfully, nobody died.

It's not like anybody has a right to eat nuts at school. The real problem is that in the American public school system, the parents have very little choice which school their kids attend. If that were the case, in this situation they could take their kids to a "peanut-friendly" school if they wanted. Since there is no choice for the parents, and the schools don't compete for customers, there are sweeping bans that "ruin it" for everybody.

 

I'm sure kids are competent enough to keep their bag of peanuts to themselves.

Banning something *just in case* an allergic person gets it on them is going too far.

Some people are allergic to mushrooms, should soup with mushrooms in it then be banned for lunch in case they somehow spill it on an allergic person?

Also, you can go somewhere else when eating nuts. You can take them outside in the schoolyard and eat them, for example. Is an allergic person really going to be putting his/her hands on the asphalt?? There are safe ways to avoid someone going into anaphylaxis that don't involve sweeping bans.

 

You don't need to touch a whole peanuts. Crumbs or residues left behind on a desk, for example, are enough to kill someone with a sensitive peanut allergy. Are you trying to say that every child is going to clean up after themselves?

There are quite a few food allergies, yes, but none are quite like a peanut allergy. Again, I don't think you grasp the severity of this unique allergy.

 

Then what about those with milk allergies?

Many non-dairy products contain casein (a milk derivative), listed on the ingredient labels.
Some meats may contain casein as a binder. Check all labels carefully.
Many restaurants put butter on steaks after they have been grilled to add extra flavor. The butter is not visible after it melts.

Wheat allergies?

Read labels carefully. At least one brand of hot dogs and one brand of ice cream contains wheat. It is listed on the label.
Many country-style wreaths are decorated with wheat products.
Some types of imitation crabmeat contain wheat.
Wheat flour is sometimes flavored and shaped to look like beef, pork, and shrimp, especially in Asian dishes.

Soy?

Soybeans and soy products are found in baked goods, canned tuna, cereals, crackers, infant formulas, sauces, and soups.

fish? shellfish?

Caponata, a traditional sweet-and-sour Sicilian relish, can contain anchovies.
Caesar salad dressings and steak or Worcestershire sauce often contain anchovies.

Eggs?

Eggs have been used to create the foam or milk topping on specialty coffee drinks and are used in some bar drinks.
Some commercial brands of egg substitutes contain egg whites.
Most commercially processed cooked pastas (including those used in prepared foods such as soup) contain egg or are processed on equipment shared with egg-containing pastas. Boxed, dry pastas are usually egg-free, but may be processed on equipment that is also used for egg-containing products. Fresh pasta is sometimes egg-free, too. Read the label or ask about ingredients before eating pasta.

tree nuts?

Tree nuts have been used in many foods, including barbecue sauce, cereals, crackers, and ice cream.

Kick sacks, or hacky sacks, bean bags, and draftdodgers are sometimes filled with crushed nut shells.

 

You don't grasp the danger of any allergy, if you think peanuts are especially dangerous, if you are allergic to something, you are in just as much danger as some one who is allergic to peanuts.

Peanut allergies are not unique.

 

I don't think it's fair to expect the school to ban peanuts if your child is allergic, but peanut allergies like bee-stings and other serious allergies can be very dangerous. I think the weight rest upon the parent to make sure their children are aware of what their allergic to and to teach their children any precautionary methods that they can and if it's reasonable the school should try and do what they can. These children should learn how to protect themselves both inside and outside of school. Once you know your personal limitations you can deal with them accordingly.

 

And how do you teach that to a kindergartner?
How is it unreasonable that the school ban peanutbutter? Its not like they are banning water and air.
What parent is so callous as to demand their right to have feed their kid peanutbutter at the risk of another child. Its just peanutbutter!

 

It's just Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Soy, Walnuts, Cashews, Kick sacks, or hacky sacks, bean bags, it just this and that, it is all of that.

 

I am not so callous and selfish that I would demand my child's right to any of those at the expense of another child's life. Their right to live far outweighs my kid's right to a bean bag.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

But your callous enough to deny the other children the enjoyment of things your child can't enjoy.

So if You child can't enjoy, no one elses can?