In early March, a 19-year-old college freshman, Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, died after eating half of a cookie that contained peanut oil. Despite knowing that her son had been diagnosed with a severe nut allergy since the age of eight, Cameron’s mother, Robin Fitzpatrick, said she “didn’t know you can die from nut allergies.”
Cases similar to Cameron’s are not rare: food allergies lead to 200,000 emergency department visits per year, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. While most cases are not life threatening, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that more than 200 Americans die each year from ingesting a food allergen. What’s more, the incidence of food allergies has risen dramatically in recent years. According to a 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies have increased by 18 percent between 1997 and 2007. Peanut allergies have tripled between 1997 and 2008. According to the UCLA Food & Drug Allergy Care Center, the incidence of food allergy is increasing for several reasons including a delayed introduction of foods, the forms of food that are eaten, and an increase in awareness and reporting.
Food allergies are clearly a growing public health concern and should not be treated as a minor issue by anyone. The American public can help create a safer environment for people like Cameron by recognizing the seriousness of food allergies, encouraging politicians to strengthen the federal guidelines for dealing with the issue, and volunteering to help produce change.
The U.S. government has taken some steps to address the nation’s food allergy problem, but they are not sufficient. President Barack Obama has signed into law the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2010, which introduces a policy for the management of food allergy risk and anaphylaxis in public schools. However, the federal guidelines associated with the policy are strictly voluntary. Further, there is no standard policy or regulation on the steps schools should take to safeguard students with food allergies. Precautionary measures are often linked to local parent involvement and insistence.
Because of the relatively relaxed guidelines regarding food allergy management, many public schools do not carry epinephrine auto-injectors, commonly known as epi-pens. Epinephrine is supposed to be the first line of treatment in all cases of anaphylaxis and in severe allergic reactions. The federal food allergy guidelines even point out that a lack of epinephrine, delay in its administration, and improper dosage are major factors that contribute to fatal or near-fatal food allergy reactions. In the unfortunate case of Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, ABC News reported that he received epinephrine, but only after a significant delay. Considering the importance of precise care in dealing with reactions to food allergens, it is surprising that rigorous and mandatory policies have not yet been introduced regarding the availability of epi-pens in public schools and other public spaces.
Organizations such as Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) and the Food Allergy Foundation (FAF) combat the rise of food allergies and advocate for effective public policy. Both groups offer ample volunteer opportunities for anyone interested in helping reduce the risk and consequences of food allergies. Some useful ways of helping out include volunteering at the above organizations to spread awareness of food allergies and appropriate responses, making a donation to these organizations, and participating in clinical trials to help find new treatments for food allergies. We can also help by supporting state and federal legislation such as the congressional School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which will help further the goal of making access to epi-pens mandatory in public locations around the nation.
As someone who suffers from severe allergies to tree nuts and seeds such as sesame and walnuts, the subject of food allergy policy in the U.S. is very close to my heart. I believe that by acknowledging the seriousness of food allergies, making federal food allergy guidelines more rigorous, and increasing public involvement in this issue, we can effectively manage the growing prevalence of food allergies in our nation. Together, we can prevent tragic cases like Cameron’s from ever happening again.
Rishi Wagle is a rising junior at DeBakey High School for Health Professions who worked as a summer intern in the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program. He plans to major in biochemistry.