Why are penuts banned from school?

[loco365]

Because peanut allergies are violent and more dangerous than most other allergies.

Ya but a lot of people only react to nuts when it either touches them or they come near it, like, 3 feet away. A person should have the right to eat nuts if they aren't allergic to it, just as long as they don't go near others that are.

I can tell you that one certain teacher that taught me last year would go into anaphylactic shock just from being in the same room as an amount of peanuts. And it's not like they're going to wear neon signs above their heads that flash "Peanut Allergy". So allowing people to bring peanuts, but avoid those that have allergies, would be almost impossible to do.

Although it'd be pretty cool to have a neon sign above my head.

 

[Edgedancer]

The simple answer is that it's safer for both the school and the affected students. By the same merit of they should be able to take care of themselves, why shouldn't we take responsibility to make sure they aren't exposed to dangerous and life-threatening situations. What you also have to remember is that the reaction can be triggered by inhalation and also simple skin contact. If one students doesnt wash their hands correctly and comes into even the slightest of contact with the allergic person, the effect is still the same.
As a teacher in training, this is super relevant to us. In my most recent school, we had a students that would have a severe reaction to so many different foods, including peanuts. He had to give the teacher on duty his first aid bag whenever he was on the playground because it had his epi-pen and everything in it. While this was a single student, and I am sure you will point this out, it enforced some rules such as not sharing food and no nuts in the school so that they could ensure the safety of everyone involved. A single incident could damage the school's repuation, no matter how much the student was at fault. Ultimately, they are liable for anything that happens so its easier just to make the ban and live with a couple of disgruntled students.
And honestly, are you seriously putting your own lunch above, potentially, a students life?

 

[ShadowSoldier]

The simple answer is that it's safer for both the school and the affected students. By the same merit of they should be able to take care of themselves, why shouldn't we take responsibility to make sure they aren't exposed to dangerous and life-threatening situations. What you also have to remember is that the reaction can be triggered by inhalation and also simple skin contact. If one students doesnt wash their hands correctly and comes into even the slightest of contact with the allergic person, the effect is still the same.
As a teacher in training, this is super relevant to us. In my most recent school, we had a students that would have a severe reaction to so many different foods, including peanuts. He had to give the teacher on duty his first aid bag whenever he was on the playground because it had his epi-pen and everything in it. While this was a single student, and I am sure you will point this out, it enforced some rules such as not sharing food and no nuts in the school so that they could ensure the safety of everyone involved. A single incident could damage the school's repuation, no matter how much the student was at fault. Ultimately, they are liable for anything that happens so its easier just to make the ban and live with a couple of disgruntled students.
And honestly, are you seriously putting your own lunch above, potentially, a students life?

Not at all. I'm saying that I think they're going too far with it.

They eliminate all candy bars like Mars bars from the school because of it. And they're trying to control the nut problem at the kids home too. And I've seen plenty of examples where when I was going to school, a kid would be allergic to something say a dog or something like that, but yet on Show and Tell days, kids would bring in dogs. Now how is that allowed, to have a dog wander through the school and shit, but a kid can't have penuts in his own lunch? I'm sure if the kid knew that "hey, billy, jimmy is allergic to nuts and he could die. So when you eat your penut butter sandwich, make sure you're no where near him, you wash your hands entirely" everything would be better.

 

[Hells Malice]

It's pretty obvious WHY. If someone with a severe allergy comes into contact with...peanuty residue (forgot the name of it, peanut protein or something), and it gets into a vulnerable part of their body (mouth or eyes), they'll have a severe reaction and they could die depending on how shit goes from there. Dying or not, nearly suffocating is a bitch of an experience regardless. It doesn't take much either, and it's not a joke that someone could touch a door handle or something, rub their eyes, and have an allergic reaction.

There's hundreds, thousands of things you could substitute instead of eating peanuts, there's really no reason to bitch about it. Schools are supposed to be a safe environment, and with so many people moving around and touching shit, you just never know. Better safe than sorry.
EDIT: and yeah schools do go a little far with it, like not eating peanuts even at home...pretty retarded. It makes sense in a way, but it's just a joke to try and enforce something like that.

The schools here, no Penut Butter at all. All the candy and snacks in vending machines are gone because they may contain nuts. Like they went full out. Even when the candy had warnings on them, they still got rid of them. I mean, the whole point of this topic is because I found out that they're trying to tell the parents "try not to let your kid have nuts at home, if they do, make sure they wash their hands for 30 seconds and arms and clothing" and all that jazz.

Actually candy and snacks were removed because parents have gone berserk against unhealthy food. Basically anything with sugar got pulled from educational environments.
At least, that's what happened to every school in my town, and I even have some Canadian friends elsewhere whose schools did the same shit.
Retarded, but not peanuts fault this time...though i'm pretty sure peanuty snacks weren't allowed just because of the general ban anyway.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

It's pretty obvious WHY. If someone with a severe allergy comes into contact with...peanuty residue (forgot the name of it, peanut protein or something), and it gets into a vulnerable part of their body (mouth or eyes), they'll have a severe reaction and they could die depending on how shit goes from there. Dying or not, nearly suffocating is a bitch of an experience regardless. It doesn't take much either, and it's not a joke that someone could touch a door handle or something, rub their eyes, and have an allergic reaction.

There's hundreds, thousands of things you could substitute instead of eating peanuts, there's really no reason to bitch about it. Schools are supposed to be a safe environment, and with so many people moving around and touching shit, you just never know. Better safe than sorry.
EDIT: and yeah schools do go a little far with it, like not eating peanuts even at home...pretty retarded. It makes sense in a way, but it's just a joke to try and enforce something like that.

The schools here, no Penut Butter at all. All the candy and snacks in vending machines are gone because they may contain nuts. Like they went full out. Even when the candy had warnings on them, they still got rid of them. I mean, the whole point of this topic is because I found out that they're trying to tell the parents "try not to let your kid have nuts at home, if they do, make sure they wash their hands for 30 seconds and arms and clothing" and all that jazz.

Actually candy and snacks were removed because parents have gone berserk against unhealthy food. Basically anything with sugar got pulled from educational environments.
At least, that's what happened to every school in my town, and I even have some Canadian friends elsewhere whose schools did the same shit.
Retarded, but not peanuts fault this time...though i'm pretty sure peanuty snacks weren't allowed just because of the general ban anyway.

Then as I said, those schools should offer the alternative to the students for free if they're going to make the parent go out and buy a whole new lunch system.

 

[mthrnite]

You can sign up for reduced cost or free lunches if you can't afford a peanut butter substitute.

edit: at least I assume you can in Canada.

 

[Hells Malice]

Then as I said, those schools should offer the alternative to the students for free if they're going to make the parent go out and buy a whole new lunch system.

While that'd be ideal, schools are underfunded as it is.
It's not the schools fault directly, whatever monkey retards are in charge of the school districts is to blame, and they're forcing rules on schools like removing all "unhealthy" food.
Yet there's budget cut after budget cut for schools. It's pretty sad.
Though it doesn't help so many teachers keep crying for higher wages, further reducing the amount of funding for schools.
Though that's all a bit off topic I suppose.

You can sign up for reduced cost or free lunches if you can't afford a peanut butter substitute.

edit: at least I assume you can in Canada.

We have that in elementary schools. Never heard of the system in highschools though.

 

[chavosaur]

Totally was eating a PBJ sandwich when I read this...
My school has no such bans on peanuts.

 

[Foxi4]

From what I've read on the subject, a food allergy reaction only occurs when certain food proteins make their way into a human body, be it via the respiratory or the digestive tract, sometimes also via skin contact. Now, this by itself does not mean that "fragrances" are dangerous.

Tests in the area have been made and a fragrance alone was not enough to trigger an allergic reaction - the situation looks different when it comes to for example peanuts ground into dust that become airborne.

In other words, sitting next to a person who's having a PB&J most likely won't trigger a reaction. Sitting in the middle of a peanut processing factory where peanuts are actively pulverized will. That's the difference.

Allergic reactions to peanuts are quite violent and dangerous, but they are harder to trigger than for example reactions to pollen - the particles in question are simply heavier.

Google it, there's a lot of studies on this particular subject.

"Casual exposure to food allergens from skin contact or by smell is probably one of the most worrisome notions, engendering much more stress than is truly warranted. Most research studies and clinical experience show that severe reactions occur from ingestion and not from skin contact or breathing fumes. (...) Airborne peanut proteins near peanut butter are harder to detect. My research group had thirty highly peanut-allergic children sniff peanut butter for ten minutes and none reacted."

~"Understanding and Managing Your Child's Food Allergies" by Scott Sicherer, head of the food allergy research program at Mt. Sinai

 

[the_randomizer]

Peanut allergies are pretty bad in some people; in fact, my sister's son (nephew) almost went into anaphylactic shock but the ambulance arrived

 

[Gahars]

We have that in elementary schools. Never heard of the system in highschools though.

I can't imagine a public school not having that; if I remember correctly, it's mandated by law.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

We have that in elementary schools. Never heard of the system in highschools though.

I can't imagine a public school not having that; if I remember correctly, it's mandated by law.

I've never heard of it and it was never offered at our schools. Must be a U.S. thing.

 

[Gahars]

We have that in elementary schools. Never heard of the system in highschools though.

I can't imagine a public school not having that; if I remember correctly, it's mandated by law.

I've never heard of it and it was never offered at our schools. Must be a U.S. thing.

Yeah, looks like it.

 

[Hyro-Sama]

You should read these

 

[Foxi4]

You should read these

Link 1: The article states it quite clearly:

UPDATE Nov. 23, 2010: According to the final coroner's report, Christina Desforges died from an acute asthma attack after physical exertion with her boyfriend, not an interaction with peanut butter on his lips.

Link 2: Who's to blame? Certainly not the school - the child was aware of her allergy and ate the peanut regardless. Going by this line of logic, we should also ban using cuttlery in school diners because of the slim possibility of someone cutting themselves with lethal results or closing down every single chemistry lab due to fear of the children drinking or eating a dangerous substance during an experiment.

 

[YayMii]

Some people (including me) have hypersensitive sense of smell when they're near a peanut. It's unpleasant, but it's not enough to cause a ban.
Kids might accidentally eat a peanut without knowing, so a nut-quarantine prevents that from happening.
(FYI my school no longer has a ban on peanuts but it is still somewhat discouraged)

 

[ShadowSoldier]

You should read these

I think you should.

 

[air2004]

Not sure why they are banned in school , but I have an idea why they are banned at church.

 

[nukeboy95]

why?

one word law suit

 

[Tonitonichopchop]

As someone who suffers from peanut allergies, I'll say now that not eating peanuts isn't as simple a matter as avoiding pb&j sandwiches. More products than you think contain peanuts, and although I only get a reaction if I actually ingest peanuts, eating a peanut product by mistake is really easy and was a mistake I often paid for as a child. Now I know to check the labels for EVERYTHING, but young kids aren't usually this responsible and will just eat a granola bar or cookie without hesitation. But in all honesty, I don't believe peanuts should be banned in schools since a child with allergies needs to learn to deal with it and just be as careful as possible. I do however agree that it probably isn't a good idea to have peanut products being made in an area with non-peanut products. So if the schools want to do that, I think they should since there's a high risk something like a cookie might become contaminated by mistake.