Each year, food allergies send about 125,000 Americans to emergency rooms. Most of those serious reactions occur in schools and restaurants, not inside the food allergy sufferers’ own homes. This underscores the serious lack of information among the general public about the dangers of food allergies. Could you imagine if there was a similar absence of knowledge about heart attacks or CPR?
Children, who can be unaware of the daily risks posed by the things with which they come in contact, are especially susceptible to the dangers of food allergies. It is often up to the adults in their lives to prevent situations that could trigger reactions. But when the adults are similarly unaware, even schools and playgrounds can suddenly become potentially hazardous minefields. Food allergy sufferers must rely on the actions and knowledge of others who, say, sat at a restaurant table before they did, or used the handrail on the escalator ahead of them—even touching a trace amount of allergen could, in some cases, provoke a life-threatening reaction.
It may surprise you to learn that the number of American children under age five with food allergies doubled from 1997-2002. Now those students are in our school system – and they require extra attention and care. Schools must hire specially trained health staff, sanitize supplies and classroom implements, and of course make extra considerations when planning school menus featuring basic items like milk, eggs, and wheat. (In some cases, children with food allergies are herded into separate dining areas.)
The Government has allocated only $17 million to the research and study of treatments to prevent these allergies. For comparison, attention deficit disorder, which doesn’t have a casualty rate, receives $107 million toward research. It has become apparent that not enough Americans know about the importance of this issue.
However, there is some good news. Researchers believe that they are only about ten years away from discovering treatments or even cures for food allergies if they are able to continue their work.
As a community, it is our duty to be educated enough to protect the safety of all of our members. Learn how you can help today at www.faiusa.org.
