[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FOOD ALLERGIES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NITA M. LOWEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 21, 2013

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, approximately 15 million Americans have a 
food allergy, a life-altering and potentially life-threatening disease 
that affects one in every 13 children in the U.S. That's roughly two in 
every classroom. Food allergies among children increased by 50 percent 
from 1997-99 to 2009-11, according to a new report from the Centers for 
Disease Control & Prevention, and every three minutes, a food allergy 
reaction sends someone to the emergency room. The numbers are growing 
and becoming more serious--but there is no clear answer as to why.
  The increased impact of food allergies is being felt in schools, 
playgrounds, restaurants, workplaces and emergency care facilities, and 
constitutes a growing public health issue with substantial financial, 
educational and medical implications. That is why I am speaking today 
to alert you that this week is Food Allergy Awareness Week.
  Unfortunately, resources dedicated to identifying the source and a 
cure for food allergies has not kept pace with the increasing incidence 
and its impact. Total governmental support, including the National 
Institutes of Health, amounts to less than $30 million in food allergy 
research. Private sources, like Food Allergy Research and Education--a 
patient-centered advocacy and support organization--provide limited 
additional research support. That is less than $2.00 in annual research 
funding for every American living with a potentially life-threatening 
food allergy.
  Mr. Speaker, beyond government research support, the risk to 
individuals, especially children, of severe, life-threatening reactions 
also needs to be addressed and prepared for. While many children with 
known food allergies are permitted to bring their epinephrine auto-
injectors to school, studies have shown that 25 percent of epinephrine 
administrations in schools involve individuals without a previously 
known allergy. Consequently, the availability of stock epinephrine--
undesignated devices that are not prescribed to a particular student 
and that may be used in anaphylactic emergencies--is critical. Many 
students who will need epinephrine may have no known history of allergy 
to food, bee stings, latex and other allergens, and therefore would not 
have a prescription of their own.
  As this health crisis continues to grow, other responses are becoming 
increasingly necessary. In addition to school personnel, restaurants 
and their staff need to be made aware of the risks, know how to 
properly prepare food to avoid allergic reactions, and how to respond 
in an emergency. Emergency responders need to be properly authorized, 
trained and equipped to recognize and administer treatment. And 
ultimately, epinephrine needs to become a standard of emergency first 
aid in public spaces, nationwide.
  Mr. Speaker, 19 states have now passed legislation that would allow 
schools to stock emergency epinephrine auto-injectors for those 
instances. Congress has had before it legislation that would provide an 
incentive for states to require the stocking of this emergency 
medication for the children and staff who may be faced with this life-
threatening situation, and I hope that that legislation will be 
revisited during this session.
  It is critical for the public to appreciate the extent of the problem 
and, importantly, the severity of the disease. It is a health crisis 
that affects every race, age, income group and geographic area, and is 
growing dramatically. And what the public increasingly needs to 
understand is that this is not simply an inconvenient condition. As the 
recent tragic deaths of children in Utah, New Jersey and Massachusetts 
show, it is frequently a life-threatening disease. We hope that public 
understanding and appreciation is enhanced during Food Allergy 
Awareness Week.

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