Comments on: Peanut allergies

By: SHOULD PEANUTS BE BANNED FROM PLANES? « MR. BOYLE'S 6th GRADE GEOGRAPHY

SHOULD PEANUTS BE BANNED FROM PLANES? « MR. BOYLE'S 6th GRADE GEOGRAPHY — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:15:38 +0000

[...] DOT wants to hear from the public about this and is considering four alternative plans of action. Should it ban peanuts from [...]

By: July 2010 NewsReport | Allergic Living

July 2010 NewsReport | Allergic Living — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:30:52 +0000

[...] document (see point 12) and click “Submit a Comment.” The issue is also being discussed on this website run by Cornell [...]

By: eeeee

eeeee — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:38:48 +0000

As the mother of a child with a life threatening peanut allergy I have had to consider this issue carefully. I am also a physician. We carry 4 epi pens and benadryl, wipe everything down, and bring his own food. Fortunately we have not had a problem, but I also will not fly with him on Delta since they serve peanuts to the whole plane. Having flown without him on Delta, the smell of peanuts being opened by 150 people at the same time was enough to convince me we’d have a problem. I don’t expect airlines to regulate what foods people bring on a plane, but I don’t understand why everyone has to be handed a bag of peanuts that they will open and spread the dust throughout the plane. I know its up to me to be prepared but how is it possible on a flight like that? Epinephrine wears off quickly, so even treating someone appropriately doesn’t cure a reaction and definitive treatment is necessary. I’ll continue to avoid Delta when traveling with my son and continue to be prepared while on other airlines, but it would be so much simpler if the airline didn’t hand out (for free!) a life threatening substance that people can do without for the short duration of a flight.

By: JJMurray

JJMurray — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:33:08 +0000

And that’s the REAL problem. “…let’s go here for all allergies.” I’ve said it before and statements like that just reinforce what I have been saying. Once you ban one thing you will be required to ban a LOT more things going forward. I don’t think the DOT is prepared to ban all perfumes, deodorants, service animals, people who smell of smoke, people who use certain shampoo, and on and on and on.

By: JJMurray

JJMurray — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:29:17 +0000

Gee, if all children are so bad at avoiding the peanut products they are allergic to why aren’t they dropping dead by the thousands each day? They’re not because in general they’re not morons and their allergies are not at the level of being deadly.
If your argument is that it might save ONE life therefore it is worth it, then you better ban flying all together since more people have died in plane accidents than from peanut allergies.

By: JJMurray

JJMurray — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:27:06 +0000

Moderator – a classic example above. Don’t just ban peanuts, ban everything that might contain something which may have encountered a peanut or peanut product in it’s life. Once you start a ban on one product, you better be prepared for more and more demands to ban a lot of other items.

By: JJMurray

JJMurray — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:25:28 +0000

Moderator – The problem is if you ban any food product you’ve just opened the door to ban every food product, perfumes, and an uncountable number of other things. Regulated bans always result in follow-on bans which steadily increase restrictions for problems that are better solved by individual responsibility vice government rules.

By: JJMurray

JJMurray — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:22:37 +0000

Once again, a reaction “not severe enough to…”. Here is the problem. No one has ever died on an airplane from a peanut allergy. The problem that the DOT is trying to fix here doesn’t exist. People have all kinds of allergic reactions in all kinds of places but I don’t know of anyone dying from ANY allergic reaction onboard an airplane. If there is such a case can someone please post a link to NTSB documentation?

By: JJMurray

JJMurray — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:20:10 +0000

Moderator – The quote illustrates the idea that the DOT should NOT ban peanuts because you are doing exactly the same kind of things the quote covers in an attempt to achieve something for those not willing to take the responsibility themselves.
Do NOT ban peanut products unless you are willing to go the VERY many roads of banning other substances as well.

By: sdm1146

sdm1146 — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:37:49 +0000

While I enjoy peanuts and have no allergy, I am severely allergic to dogs and have had asthma attacks when assistance animals or pets are seated near me. I also suffer when those around me have on too much perfume or too strongly scented soap/body products. While I appreciate the seriousness of peanut allergies, if we’re going here, let’s go here for all allergies.