Many schools have banned peanuts as peanut allergy among children is rising. Parents whose kids have peanut allergies are relieved with the ban of peanuts in schools. Some parents of allergy-free kids are also annoyed by the fact their children cannot have their favorite peanut butter sandwich in school. This leads us to the question, do children who suffer from peanut allergies are really safe after their school bans them?
A False Sense of Security:
Peanut ban in schools can give a certain amount of relief to parents. However, June MacDonald, president of Karen Lynn MacDonald Allergy Society feels that people may get a false sense of security if the ban is implemented.
Peanut ban in schools does not ensure a peanut free environment. A child (who is not allergic to peanuts) can bring to school a cookie or a bar with traces of peanut. Traces of peanuts or peanut laced products can be present in other kids’ lunchboxes even after the ban of peanuts. If an allergic kid gets into contact with even a slightest amount of peanut, it can be dangerous.
What about other food allergies?
Peanuts are banned because many kids are allergic to it. What about the child who has other allergies such as milk allergy, egg allergy, wheat allergy etc. Can schools ban all these products? It is very dangerous to believe your child is safe from an allergic reaction if the school bans a particular food. Your child will be still at risk.
It Is Always Best To Be Careful
Even if schools ban peanut, the best step that parents can take is to educate their children. Kids need to be taught that being careful is the best defense against allergies. They also need to careful about sharing lunchboxes with other kids.
Kids should be taught to make wise choices, such as reading the labels, staying away from products which may contain even slight traces of peanut. They should learn to stay safe even when peanuts are around.
Peanut ban in schools is not a long-term solution. Kids can manage peanut allergies well if parents teach them how to handle their allergies. Banning peanuts helps, but when kids continue to be careful, they minimize the risk of having an allergic reaction.
