Profile: smr
This is smr's Profile page. Use it to view smr's comments, other users' replies to these comments, and comments smr has endorsed.
What's Happening Now
Thanks for your comment! What do you think the solution should be if the plane has left the gate and is sitting somewhere out on the tarmac? Should passengers be allowed to de-plane?
In the late 1990’s the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed that airlines provide peanut-allergic passengers with ‘peanut free’ seating areas. The proposal was denied by congress due to the lack of evidence demonstrating that peanut dust inhalation causes anaphylaxis. Studies have shown that inhalation of peanut dust can cause a reaction for those allergic to peanut, but the reaction is typically restricted to skin and upper-respiratory symptoms and does not usually result in anaphylaxis. That being said, it has been shown that when multiple people are eating peanuts together on an airplane the reaction can be sufficiently serious to require epinephrine. In addition, the dust and residue left from peanuts or peanut products can cause anaphylaxis when transferred to the mouth, nose,… more »
http://www.faiusa.org/?page=Nut_Allergies_on_the_Increase_Says_FAI_Study
That number is continuing to grow and affect families on a daily basis. My family is one of them, as we have been dealing with my son’s food allergies for many years. My son has never been to a live sporting event. Going to the circus caused hives on his face so we left immediately. He’s reacted when people around us are eating peanut butter cookies. Flying is extremely nerve wracking for our entire family and therefore we limit it as much as possible.
DOT wants to know how likely it is for a person with peanut allergies to suffer a reaction on a flight. That question is very difficult to answer. According to a recent study by the University of Michigan Division of Allergies and Clinical Immunology, 1 in 3 people that are reacting to nuts or peanuts are suffering from anaphylaxis, so it is happening. (Greenhawt, Self Reported Reactions to Peanuts and Tree Nuts Occurring in Schools and Child Care Centers, Restaurants, and Commercial Aircraft) If my child were to step on to an airplane (say Southwest) with no precautions taken I have no doubt he’d react. How bad would that reaction be? I can’t say because we’ve never let his reactions progress nor would we ever take that chance. Anaphylaxis is a tricky thing because one never knows at what point a reaction will stop or get worse. We take a number of steps to prevent any reactions from occurring- not just when we fly, but every day of his life. While its highly unlikely to have a reaction from smelling something, the chances of having an airborne reaction from the dust of peanuts going into your airways is highly likely, as is the chance that the dust from peanuts or residue from a PB and J sandwich from the passenger before you getting onto an allergic person’s seat and then onto that person’s hands and then into their mouth, nose or eye is also likely.
There are many plane trips we have not made because it is just too stressful to fly even when we do dose him with Benadryl, wipe down everything around us including the seat belt, cover the seat with a crib sheet, bring our own safe food, and an entire back pack filled with his epi pens (our health insurance is great and we can bring at least 4), Benadryl, inhalers, steroid creams (taking that through security is always fun), and his prescription strength antihistamines. Being prepared has certainly lessened the chance that he’ll have a reaction, but we have still had mystery hives while flying.
My son has missed out on many plane trips to fly to his grandparent’s house that he watches his sister take because it’s just too dangerous for him. We’ve driven over 5000 miles in the last year alone just to see family- taking 2 days of driving instead of 2 hours of flying.
As for having epinephrine onboard the plane, that is a great idea. I personally think everyone should carry epi pens because a person can become allergic at any point in their life to a myriad of foods, medicines, and animals. Epinephrine can be a lifesaver, but it isn’t always. If not given before the blood pressure drops there is no way for it to move throughout the body and stop the reaction. There are also cases where the epi pens fail. Once given, the injection may only last 20 minutes before the reaction can start again, only worse.
I would love for my son to be able to fly without a fear of going into anaphylaxis. I think that any steps that the DOT could take to lessen his reactions would be welcome. In the US, those who suffer from food allergies that can be life-threatening, including peanut allergy, may be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (S. 504) which does prohibit disability-based discrimination.
We currently try to fly only United because they only serve nuts in first class, but in some cases have had to fly other airlines as well. I have found out that if you make too big of a deal with American Airlines they won’t let you board the plane. I quickly downplayed my son’s allergies and hoped for the best on that flight.
A buffer zone won’t do a bit of good because the peanut dust can easily travel all over the plane. A person could eat a bag of peanuts and then open the restroom door. My son could then also open the restroom door, rub his eye and have an anaphylactic reaction. I think a ban of all peanuts and nuts (or at least peanuts) would be the safest route for those with peanut allergies. If there are going to be set rules, the easiest thing to do is ban all peanuts and peanut products from being brought onto planes. While this will inconvenience many people I am sure, it should be worth it if it saves even one life.
And to the poster above, yes, life threatening allergies ARE a disability. The definition of disability is:
For purposes of nondiscrimination laws (e.g. the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act), a person with a disability is generally defined as someone who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more “major life activities,” (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.
Breathing is a major life activity.
Food Allergy Initiative – another propaganda piece by the allergists. Your quote above – “our research shows that more than 3 million americans report peanut or tree nut allergies. . . ” You can’t trust what people report, there are MILLIONS of hypochondriacs out there. If you are one of the VERY VERY VERY FEW who actually have a doctor diagnosed serious allergy – DON’T FLY.
Thank you for the comment smr. If you are aware of any scientific research on the subject, the DOT is interested to know about it. Could peanut free flights or a peanut free zone be effective as an alternative to a full ban?
No comments
Frankly, I am horrified at the negative attitudes and comments from people who feel their rights are being taken away should peanuts (& tree nuts, please) be banned from flights. Perhaps they should be made to watch a person in a true anaphylactic situation.
I have a granddaughter who has multiple food allergies including peanuts and tree nuts. Her parents do a wonderful job of making sure that her surroundings are as safe as possible, providing appropriate food, and carrying all of the medications my granddaughter might need. The whole family absolutely accepts that these precautions are our responsibility.
However, when one is on an aircraft one does not have the option of pulling the emergency cord to stop the flight so that one can get to a hospital. This is the reason why a total… more »
We have all been on flights where it is obvious that the cleaning crew did not have time to do a thorough job on the areas that can be seen. How often are filters changed? Probably not often enough to remove airborn allergens.
Our home airport is a Delta hub. Delta does not believe in peanut free flights. Jet Blue does not fly here. Flying other companies means making at least one, and frequently two, changes of plane thus making the travel time unduly long and stressful. Whoever is sitting next to my granddaughter cannot risk falling asleep in case she should have a reaction and not be able to self-inject – she is eight years old.
The Food Allergy Initiative states: “The prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergies tripled in children in the United States between 1997 and 2008, according to an FAI-sponsored study conducted by Scott Sicherer, MD, and colleagues at Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York, NY). The study was published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the official journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “Our research shows that more than 3 million Americans report peanut or tree nut allergies, representing a significant health burden,” said Dr. Sicherer. “The data also emphasize the importance of developing better prevention and treatment strategies.”
When trying to explain the reason for this increase the FAI suggests “Another explanation could be the popularity of roasted peanuts in the U.S. The roasting process appears to alter the peanut protein, making it more likely to trigger an allergy.” Maybe the peanut supporters should put their efforts into making the move towards the healthier snack of raw peanuts (no oil, no salt, no roasting) and see if this will help protect the future youth of America. « less
The problem of whether to deplane or not is a tricky one. On one side is the fact that sitting for an excessive amount of time is uncomfortable at best and unhealthy at worst. However, on the other side there will be considerable time lost with the deplaning and re-boarding.
One item which should be addressed is food and drink. If the airline would normally have food for the passengers on that flight it seems silly to deny access to anything more than a bag of peanuts and a glass of water.
This happened to my husband last week on a Delta flight from Newark to Amsterdam. The passengers were sitting on the plane for over six hours, at the gate, but they were only offered one bag of peanuts and a glass of water or orange juice. The plane eventually took off at approximately 1 a.m., when it should… more »
Allowing passengers off the plane into a holding area would not give them access to food and drink, but would let them move around. However, when passengers expect food to be served on a flight they will often depend on that being served and an excessive delay in serving meals could be hazardous to some people’s health, especially when on a connecting flight so there has been no opportunity to purchase food and drinks at the airport. « less
There are two main factions here:
a) those who believe that it is right to help the few to live life to the fullest of their abilities, and
b) those who believe that no-one has the right to pass laws they do not agree with .
And it is very obvious that a consensus will not be agreed upon here.
I would like to thank the DOT for having the courage to bring this matter up and to ask for comments from the public, especially after being told by Congress in 1998 to drop the matter or risk having funding removed. No doubt the peanut lobby played a major part in that directive.
Those who have legitimate life threatening allergies (and there are many) have a right to be heard. Unfortunately, there appear to be many who wish to snuff out these voices because certain rights may be impeded.
Congress… more »
I would prefer a total ban on peanut and tree nut foods being served on flights.
My granddaughter has been medically diagnosed as having several allergies, including these two items. We are not hysterical, and we would be much happier if these allergies could disappear or be cured. Unfortunately, the science is not there yet. So, the family must all read labels, call companies when the labels are not clear, talk with restaurants, take “safe” food with us when no other solution is possible, and always carry a bag with any possibly required medications. We accept these as our responsibility.
We are restricted from being able to take family vacations very far from home because of the negative attitudes of the airline companies, or lack of choices because of living next to a Delta hub. This does not affect one person, this affects 12! I would have thought that the airlines would have taken this into account when looking at their bottom dollar, but Delta has stated that they will not restrict peanuts because their home is in Georgia!
The negative comments from some of the writers posted here are not helpful in defining what is the correct solution to allow allergy sufferers, and their families, to fly.
Get the feedback from the experts, make logical decisions, and fund the research into finding cures or relief for those suffering from the disability of life threatening allergies. All life threatening allergies! But please do not wait until someone dies before acting. « less