There is just no way to render the world absolutely safe for every child everywhere. Even if schools do institute a ban on peanuts, how do they enforce it? By posting a peanut-sniffing dog at every entrance? And since most children don’t outgrow peanut allergies, what happens after graduation? The best way to deal with peanut allergies isn’t by outlawing the crunchy little legumes—which are an excellent source of protein—but by doing some homework and taking a few crucial precautions to lessen the risk of injury.
You may be surprised to learn that the Food Allergy Network, a seven-year-old advocacy group based in Fairfax, Va., agrees. “Peanut bans don’t work,” says Ann Munoz-Furlong, founder of the network. “They’re counterproductive, and they create a false sense of security.” She favors teaching kids what to do in case of an allergic reaction (children with the most severe reactions need to carry emergency adrenaline shots with them) and to beware of peanut products hidden in such foods as home-baked cookies and Chinese takeout. Most of the major candy-bar manufacturers already label even trace amounts of peanuts.
That doesn’t mean that schools should do nothing to accommodate students with allergies. A handful of institutions have designated peanut-free tables in their cafeterias and trained teachers and others to give adrenaline shots in an emergency. In the meantime, doctors are working on a vaccine-like treatment that might dampen the immune system’s overreaction. Until then, all the peanut-free zones in the world can’t diminish the need to teach children with allergies to take care of themselves.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989243,00.html?promoid=googlep
Your post was very informative. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to teach the other kids about how important it is to not share peanuts with someone who’s allergic, and to also instruct responsible adults how to handle an allergic reaction should it occur. What is NOT reasonable is to expect that everyone in that child’s life (especially fellow young students) will radically alter their own behavior and eating habits.