So what happens when these children grow up and go out into the world? How do they manage when working with others who may have eaten nuts in the workplace or on a break? What about travelling on public transport, in close proximity to who knows what? Can they never visit a pub or go into a restaurant or cinema?
So far as school is concerned what if one of their classmates has eaten nuts on the way to school? What about the ones who might go home for dinner and have nuts there?
Presumably you mean the children who don't outgrow the allergy? They make adult decisions. They work with adults who either do or don't understand the problem. Would you as an adult eat nuts next to an adult who has told you about their allergy?
You are right public transport and cinemas are a big problem and at best avoided. Airlines already are bringing in the nut ban for health and safety reasons as outlined earlier in this thread. Restaurants indicate any dish with nut derived ingredients.
So far as school is concerned, none of the primary schoools that I know that have the ban have primary school age children going home for lunch and haven't for many years. Parents of children who share a class with a nut allergist are fully aware of the problems. If they wish to put another child at risk because their child HAS to eat nuts on the way to school it is very quickly discovered and they wouldn't win any competitions for 'parent of the year.'
Last time I checked, schools were supposed to be educating their pupils, and why should that stop at acedemic subjects?
How do you propose to stop a child with nut allergy from coming into proximity with any of the 1000+ pupils who may have eaten nuts at lunch time? Or do you think daily visits to casualty enhance a child's education?
At my daughters old school there was a child with a nut allergy. All the children were made aware of this and had it explained to them the seriousness of this condition and what to do if an allergic reaction should occur. They were all told that ifthey had food which they knew had nut traces in it, to sit at another table to this child at meal times. They were educated in the importance of washing their hands after handling food. My daughter became very aware of what foods had nuts or nut traces in them. My daughter now not only has a knowledge of how important it is that a person allergic to nuts has NO contact with them and an awareness how important it is to get help IMMEDIATELY should an allergic reaction occur. She knows what an epipen is and how one should be used.
Top marks for educating the children. Bottom marks for thinking segregation works. The school is seriously uneducated if it thinks that by seperating children for an hour at lunchtime the problem vanishes. The nut allergist is in danger for many hours if they come into contact with a child who has eaten nuts. Not just at lunchtime. Did they have seperate classrooms, toilets, changing rooms, assembly halls etc etc etc....and to think an epi pen is a cure all I have already covered above. It delays the reaction for 15 minutes and the child has to get to an emergency department in a hospital within 15 minutes. Maybe you would be happy injecting adrenaline in to your child every day and rushing him to hospital every day. Schools don't think that is acting in the childs best interest luckily.
I have to disagree, Terry K. My concern is that anonymous Guest is being over protective of his kids and that does them no favours at all.
I have never stated I have a child with a nut allergy but thanks for your concern.
Guest, you have an aweful lot to say but do not have the guts to say who you really are.
This is one of the very good reasons why Guests should not be allowed to post until they have joined Mudcat.