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buzzard

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What's Happening Now

July 18, 2010 5:22 am

We ban smoking on aircraft because of the long term health risks. Banning nuts is similar – except that the health risk is immediate.

Two published studies for you
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Jul;101(1):51-6.Allergic reactions to peanuts, tree nuts, and seeds aboard commercial airliners.Comstock SS, DeMera R, Vega LC, Boren EJ, Deane S, Haapanen LA, Teuber SS.Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California, USA.

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999 Jul;104(1):186-9.Self-reported allergic reactions to peanut on commercial airliners.Sicherer SH, Furlong TJ, DeSimone J, Sampson HA.Division of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA.

July 18, 2010 5:43 am

For those who wish to deny an increase in the level of peanut allergy – a study of anaphylaxis severe enough to require hospital admission. This shows a greater increase than self-reported studies.

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2008 Oct;101(4):387-93.

Increasing anaphylaxis hospitalizations in the first 2 decades of life: New York State, 1990 -2006.
Lin RY, Anderson AS, Shah SN, Nurruzzaman F.

Department of Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital-Manhattan-SVCMC, New York, New York 10011, USA. robert_lin@nymc.edu

Until airlines can filter air to exclude peanut protein peanuts should be banned on flights.

September 1, 2010 3:14 pm

In the personal rights section I believe you are underestimating the number of commentators who disagreed that banning peanuts was an unjustifiable infringement on other passengers rights. Some – like myself – may not have said it in so many words but by stating that we agreed with a ban we are discounting the opposing arguments.

In who participated it might also be helpful to indicate that many posts opposing a ban were made by a few individuals. I haven’t counted “howie”‘s posts but there sure were a lot of them.

In the personal rights section and again in the last paragraph of the possible regulatory response comments about problems for those suffering from coeliac disease are raised are by those who are both coeliac AND have blood sugar issues and in… more »

…one case this related to a single flight. I myself am gluten intolerant. On most flights there are gluten free meals and crisps I can eat. It is possible to find alternative long life foods for travel, I carry some myself when flying. It should be clear that this was not an issue for coeliacs in general but simply for those who are both coeliac AND have blood sugar problems.

In the slippery slope you mention that “about half” (presumably of the 30 rather than of the total number of commentators, this could be clearer) think it should be the responsibility of allergy sufferers to protect themselves. You do not point out that allergy sufferers state that the methods suggested are not feasible. It is stated later but should be here also.

In the section on existence and severity you mention that several commentators provided links and citations. I suggest an addition to the text “Commentators challenging the evidence tend to oppose any regulation. Some deny that allergies exist or state that they are outgrown in childhood”

As it stands you give equal weight to those whose views are clearly ill-informed and those who views have some scientific backing.

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July 19, 2010 1:28 pm

Thanks for sharing those studies with us, Buzzard. We will see that they get to the DOT. In the mean time, please feel free to share your thoughts on other parts of the rule. Your’s is just the kind of input we need.

September 1, 2010 3:49 pm

Thank you for your very helpful suggestions, buzzard. We will take everything you said into careful consideration when we are putting the final summary together. A few quick thoughts on your points:
1. We will definitely double-check our numbers, but we can only count what people actually say in their comments.
2. Our number estimates are based on commenters, not comments. So if one person said the same thing three times, it was only counted once.
3. On your last point, you’ll be glad to know that we have invited the authors of many of the scientific studies cited to come discuss the scientific evidence on our Experts’ Discussion Board.


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