President Obama Helps Kids With Food Allergies

By Sam Lewis

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act signed into law

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act was signed into law by President Obama on Wednesday, Nov. 13 during a ceremony attended by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) CEO John Lehr, among other members of the FARE board of directors. The new, potentially lifesaving law, is the first to urge schools to purchase and store injectable epinephrine for use in emergency cases of allergic reactions.

The law, which FARE has been supporting for longer than two years, was passed by the House of Representatives in late July and by the Senate on Oct. 31, receiving strong support and passing unanimously in both chambers. “We are thrilled to see this legislation signed by President Obama and thank him for bringing national attention to the need to protect students with food allergies,” says Lehr. “It is our hope that this legislation serves as the catalyst for states to recognize the need to not just allow schools to stock epinephrine, but to require this important medication be available to our students and empower school personnel to save lives.”

Back in 2010, awareness of the dangers of food allergies was elevated by the deaths of two young girls. Katelyn Carlson (13) and Ammaria Johnson (7) both died from allergic reactions suffered from food while in school. But even before these two tragedies, Congress was a part of the epinephrine in schools movement. House Democratic Whip, Steny Hoyer’s 11-year-old granddaughter has a severe peanut allergy and more than once has been hospitalized from it. Hoyer co-sponsored the House bill along with Republican Phil Roe of TN. “We think it's a very positive step in raising awareness, but I must say I think school systems all over the country are becoming better and better educated on the risks that food allergies pose to their students,” Hoyer says.

FARE brought advocates of the bill to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2012. The group’s goal was to inform lawmakers of the need for this legislation. The bill picked up steam, passing through Congress just over a year later, reaching law by the hand of the president in November. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act offers incentives to states to adopt laws that require schools to stock EpiPens and other epinephrine injectors. Currently, 30 states have adopted or will be adopting laws enabling schools to carry epinephrine.

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