Why are penuts banned from school?

[GamerzHell9137]

Whao... kids these days are allergic to penuts too....
Or is that just America?

 

[Sicklyboy]

Whao... kids these days are allergic to penuts too....
Or is that just America?

Just us silly Americans again.

Kids everywhere. And not just "these days" either.

 

[GamerzHell9137]

Whao... kids these days are allergic to penuts too....
Or is that just America?

Just us silly Americans again.

Kids everywhere. And not just "these days" either.

American kids all the day. *trollface*

 

[TheDreamLord]

It's stupidity. A lot of kids are also lactose intolerant, or even allergic. I don't see milk being banned.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Whao... kids these days are allergic to penuts too....
Or is that just America?

Just us silly Americans again.

Kids everywhere. And not just "these days" either.

I don't know, I'd say "these days" it's a helluva lot worse than what it was when I was in school. When I was going to school, you could bring anything to school, like literally nobody was allergic to anything. But "these days" it's just so much worse.

 

[leic7]

In the schools in my area, the child's family could talk to the teacher or the principal about their financial problems regarding lunches, and said problems would be dealt with discretely without other students knowing anything about it. Perhaps the schools in your area might have something similar in place? We don't advertise something like this so the kids don't get any unwanted attention paid to their "free lunches" or get stigmatized in any way, but the parents would need to tell at least someone in school so the school could help.

As for the ban on nuts from our schools, I see the rule itself partly as a way to teach students to be considerate of others around them, and partly for safety reasons. Having a rule/structure in place encourages a certain behavioural norm, the new behavioural norm can in turn encourage a new way of perceiving and relating to others, resulting in a shift in attitude that's transferable to other places later in life. Putting others' needs before your own pleasures and conveniences is a very difficult lesson to teach, so I'd support every chance that could be used to teach it.

The other thing I want to comment on is the peanut butter & jelly combo... Peanut butter is already quite an acquired taste, and you have to add jelly on top of that?!? Ugh.

 

[Coconuts 500]

You shouldn't eat peanut butter/jelly sandwiches for lunch, anyway. That's a snack if anything, and even that is not a good idea. Lunch should be robust, keep you energized through the day. A sandwich won't do that. It'll fuck you up like a tiger in heat.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

Whao... kids these days are allergic to penuts too....
Or is that just America?

Just us silly Americans again.

Kids everywhere. And not just "these days" either.

I don't know, I'd say "these days" it's a helluva lot worse than what it was when I was in school. When I was going to school, you could bring anything to school, like literally nobody was allergic to anything. But "these days" it's just so much worse.

Got to agree with this I mean when I was still in primary school the worst thing was asthma but apart from that we could eat and bring whatever we want. But bringing that up isn't it said the health of children now is worse because parents try to protect their kids from everything.

I'm not having a go at people with allergies but I mean if your allergic to something then you would avoid it but you can't force other people to not eat it as well just because you are there.

 

[BlueStar]

Whao... kids these days are allergic to penuts too....
Or is that just America?

I'm 31 and British and have a horrific allergy to them. When I was a kid it wasn't very well known. The doc just basically said 'don't eat nuts then' and I just had to deal with it. All I knew was that if I ate a tiny bit peanut of I was more ill than I've ever been from just normal illness. never went to hospital when I had a reaction, just waited it out, though I probably should have done on several occasions. Meant I really had to fight to be given an epipen because they didn't want to prescribe them for someone who'd never been hospitalised with it.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

You shouldn't eat peanut butter/jelly sandwiches for lunch, anyway. That's a snack if anything, and even that is not a good idea. Lunch should be robust, keep you energized through the day. A sandwich won't do that. It'll fuck you up like a tiger in heat.

...keep you energized? How will a pb/j sandwich not do that? I had one every day when I was in school and had no problems... I don't know a single person who did have a problem.

 

[DaggerV]

I always saw food fights as an urban myth. I sure as hell never had one in my entire schooling.

I initiated one once that spread through-out the cafeteria, but it was because someone pissed me off taking my food and junk. Didn't get in trouble for it since no one pointed fingers

 

[Smuff]

I'm not having a go at people with allergies but I mean if your allergic to something then you would avoid it but you can't force other people to not eat it as well just because you are there.

Some of the sufferers can have "an attack" just by touching a door handle that someone who has recently handled peanuts has also touched (for an extreme example). How are they supposed to avoid that? The ban may seem silly, but it has more to do with preventing the schools falling foul of America's culture of litigation and blame (that unfortunately has spread to this side of the pond and beyond).
Blame the lawyers kids, and their frivolous ambulance chasing blame culture.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Are we seriously having a 7-page thread about saying fuck all to people with deadly peanut allergies because you can't wait a bit to eat some goddamn peanuts?

Seriously?

 

[gamefan5]

Are we seriously having a 7-page thread about saying fuck all to people with deadly peanut allergies because you can't wait a bit to eat some goddamn peanuts?

Seriously?

Yes. It's amazing isn't?

 

[MasterPenguin]

I'm not having a go at people with allergies but I mean if your allergic to something then you would avoid it but you can't force other people to not eat it as well just because you are there.

Some of the sufferers can have "an attack" just by touching a door handle that someone who has recently handled peanuts has also touched (for an extreme example). How are they supposed to avoid that? The ban may seem silly, but it has more to do with preventing the schools falling foul of America's culture of litigation and blame (that unfortunately has spread to this side of the pond and beyond).
Blame the lawyers kids, and their frivolous ambulance chasing blame culture.

Pretty much this. My brother has peanut allergies this severe. Don't think of it as simply a door handle however, as it could be anything. "I lost my pencil...Can I borrow (aka steal lol, you know how kids are) yours?", or "can I borrow a piece of paper?" if that person had peanuts literally any time through the day then off to the hospital he goes. Besides touch, it was also just the smell, literally if you had eaten any, then simply talked with him then off he goes. It's not always just as simple as "oh don't come near me when I'm eating", since some idiot parents thought that which cost him a trip to the hospital.

Examples given throughout this thread are pitiful -> you don't see a dog ban because very few people are actually deathly allergic to dogs, most simply get watery eyes, sniffles, minor things (much how I do with cats, and I live with one). With milk, it's similar, as most people get upset stomachs and pains, but generally won't die without a large amount, making it a lot safer (There are exceptions to this obviously.) The thing with peanut allergies however is that many people get severe reactions to them, not just minor discomforts. I know many people that are either deathly allergic, or very severely, as there was around 5 of them in my school.

So in the end, I'd rather watch people suffer not being able to eat a sandwich, then to watch my brother die. That's just my opinion however. So I fully support the ban.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Are we seriously having a 7-page thread about saying fuck all to people with deadly peanut allergies because you can't wait a bit to eat some goddamn peanuts?

Seriously?

And what's stopping you from not coming in here exactly?

 

[Sicklyboy]

Because he makes the same point as all of us but a he'll of a lot more blunt.

 

[Yumi]

I read and skimmed through here so if its been said then ignore.

Why not buy your own PB/Peanuts and make it at home?
Do you really have to have a pbj sandwich every morning lunch to be satisfied?

Edit: Fixed.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

I read and skimmed through here so if its been said then ignore.

Why not buy your own PB/Peanuts and make it at home?
Do you really have to have a pbj sandwich every morning to be satisfied?

What are you talking about at morning? I mean for like at lunch, or recess.

 

[Foxi4]

I read and skimmed through here so if its been said then ignore.

Why not buy your own PB/Peanuts and make it at home?
Do you really have to have a pbj sandwich every morning to be satisfied?

That's the thing - some schools have a peanut quarantine - you are not allowed to bring anything containing peanuts, regardless of whether you made it yourself or not. It's considered a health hazard, which is a bit of an overkill.

It's one of those rules that are simply a tad extreme. I understand that peanut allergy is incredibly severe and ingesting peanuts can be lethal to some people, but I'm on the side of science on this one, and from what I've read so-far, being in the immediate neighbourhood of peanuts is not dangerous whatsoever. Peanut proteins have to make physical contact with you to cause a reaction, be it a mild one or a strong one. People who suffer from a food allergy will not eat the food product concerned, it's simple as that. Such a quarantine is understandable in areas which prepare food for the students - the kitchen. A complete ban is overkill. There needs to be moderation in everything.