Peanut Allergy Controversy over School Policies Banning Nuts

As children’s allergies have seemingly become more and more apparent, a common controversy has emerged. One of the most common – and dangerous – allergies in children is a peanut allergy. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3.3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts. In light of this, some schools have taken the step of banning nuts. There is a lot of controversy over this move.
The first reason that schools give for banning nuts is because of how common the allergy is. It is not unusual for multiple students in a school to suffer from this affliction. Because so many students suffer from it, they feel that the best chance to avoid exposure is to ban it all together.
Another reason why schools say it is vital to avoid nuts in school is because of how dangerous a peanut allergy can be. Even someone who is considered to have a “moderate” peanut allergy can still experience anaphylaxis. They can literally stop breathing in a matter of minutes after exposure. Death can occur.
Some parents feel that it is not right to stop their children from bringing in peanut products because of other children. They may have grown up on peanut butter and jelly and feel that their children have a right to do so as well.
Some of the controversy stems from misconceptions about peanut allergies. When many people think of a food allergy they think that a person needs to ingest the food to suffer from an allergic reaction. With a peanut allergy, merely touching a peanut or a product that has peanuts in it can be enough to send them into an allergy attack – one that can be fatal.
Another reason why schools take the step of banning peanuts is because allergic students can easily come into contact with the peanut product even if it is in another child’s lunch. For instance, if another child eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, there is a good chance that he or she will get some on his or her hands. It does not have to be a lot. If he or she then touches a child who is allergic, that child can have a reaction.
They do not even have to even touch the child. He or she may touch a door handle that the allergic child then touches. The only way to truly reduce the risk of exposure is to ban these products from school.
Schools also feel that there are many alternatives to nuts. Children still have many choices of foods.
The controversy over nut-banning in schools is likely to continue for some time. Schools and parents should educate themselves on the condition when choosing a side.