Have Americans Gone Nuts Over Nut Allergies?

Is evacuating a school bus full of children because of a lone peanut on the floor a smart precaution, or overkill?



Allergies in kids are a conundrum, both from a practical standpoint as well as a policy one. Clearly, if one individual's participation in something causes undue disruption to where it becomes burdensome, then that individual needs to be addressed. That addressing is usually either "you can't do this" or "the activity needs to be changed to accommodate you."

There are kids out there with really bad food allergies. My wife has taught kids who could literally die from exposure to nuts or glutens. The parents insist on giving their kids a "normal" education, but common things in the environment are now toxins that the school and teacher have to eliminate (and they have to be briefed on how to use an epi-pin). M'self, I've seen cases where I'd give the kid a space-suit or have them homeschooled, since whole buildings have to be allergen-free for them to use them.

But it is hard from a policy standpoint to say that a child should suck up a greater chance of dying to attend school. So the conundrum remains: "Think of the children" vs. "think of my child."

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