Should Peanuts Be Banned from School Sporting Events?

Sports have been a part of my family since my children were old enough to play sports. Basketball is the prime sport in my home and we make it a point to attend every game. Recently, while watching a middle school basketball game with my son who's severely allergic to peanuts, I noticed we were sitting in the middle of a death zone. Every person seated around us was eating some form of peanut product; candy bars, cookies, chocolate candies and peanut butter cups on all sides. My son instantly started getting nervous and neither of us was able to concentrate on the rest of the game because we were constantly watching the habits and movements of other onlookers. These products were sold as part of a fundraising effort by the school, but I doubt the school ever took food allergies into consideration when choosing foods to sell.

Are Peanut Allergies Really That Serious?

As a parent of a child with severe food allergies, this is one of the top questions we face from other students, teachers and adults. Yes, peanut allergies are really that serious for a small portion of the population; both adults and children. It is estimated that more than 3 million people, children and adults, are allergic to peanuts. Moreover, about 1.2% of all children are allergic to peanuts and up to 62% of all deaths associated with food allergies are attributed to peanuts. But, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, not all food allergy deaths are reported as such. The organization estimates that at least 50% of all deaths from food allergies are recorded on death certificates as a cause other than food allergies.

But Only 1.2 in 100 People are Affected - Why Can't I Have My Peanuts?

Yes, only 1.2 in every 100 children at that school sporting event was likely to be affected by a peanut allergy, but isn't that life is worth more than a peanut snack. Severe food allergies are not like hay fever or other seasonal allergies. When a child who is severely allergic to peanuts breathes in the dust from your peanut butter cracker, the body instantly goes on high alert. The lungs shut down to prevent inhaling additional peanut dust. When the lungs shut down the child dies if they don't receive an injection of epinephrine. Death can occur in less than two minutes.

At the same sporting event, I noticed a woman who fell as she was walking down the bleachers. With a packed gym, it took more than two minutes for a policeman and school officials to find a wheelchair and call the ambulance. In that time, a child with severe peanut allergies could be dead.

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