Talking Allergies

Right now -- http://www.cfrb.com/ -- click on "Listen Now"
He is having a discussion about peanut allergy and Hallowe'en. This is a call in radio show.

Edited to add:
The little I was able to hear: he is totally against handing out "allergy friendly" treats. He thinks it's "irresponsible" to take out kids with peanut allergy. He doesn't feel that any concessions should be made for peanut allergic children. He feels concessions to the peanut allergic have gone overboard (including at schools). My blood pressure was rising as I listened! He was presenting parents of FA kids as expecting the public not to hand out peanut/nut treats - which I don't feel is the case (at least not for me anyway...) He was trying to paint us as "over-the-top-wanting-the-world-to-be-peanut-free" parents. *sigh* I think all of us just want people to be more aware.

If I'd have known that he was just presenting a forum for an uneducated rant against allergy awareness - I wouldn't have bothered posting . Sorry.

You don't have to apologize, we know those attitudes are out there. Too bad.

A lot of the call-in shows just wouldn't be "useful" to their own ratings if they didn't take extreme positions. If they were level-headed, who would bother to listen?

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6-yr old son: anaphylactic to peanuts; asthma
1-yr old daughter: No known allergies

So true Catherine. A perfect example of that is Howard Stern.

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15 year old - asthmatic, allergic to cats, dogs, horses, waiting to be "officially" diagnosed for anaphylaxis
12 year old - asthmatic, allergic to tree pollen and mold, OAS
Husband - Allergic to amoxycillin
Self - Allergic to housework only

And another thing! What big concession is he talking about? I bought Smarties at Zellers, in an aisle full of Hallowe'en candy and their price is comparable to other candy! It's not like people have to go out of their way and make a huge compromise! It's not a life changing commitment.

We're talking about making children happy here. Would he rather people throw out the candy? That's wasteful. At least if you buy peanut-free candy more kids can eat them.

I think he's creating a tempest in a teapot. I think for most people, it's really a non-issue.

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15 year old - asthmatic, allergic to cats, dogs, horses, waiting to be "officially" diagnosed for anaphylaxis
12 year old - asthmatic, allergic to tree pollen and mold, OAS
Husband - Allergic to amoxycillin
Self - Allergic to housework only

In a weird way, I still find it useful to know that such attitudes still exist in the mainstream media. I don't know Carroll's show (though I know of him). If it's a call-in, I would have liked to have done that.

What I hate is when there's no chance for a counter-point. Then it is just a one-guy rant.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Gwen, I know what you mean! But some how those people who complain never quite want to open a dialogue about the issue with the people that know the most about it! I would be happy to sit down and speak with the nonbelievers any day. Hearing the harshest point of view -- to our face -- would be challenging, but I betcha anything we would convince them with our advocacy and awareness of the situation. At least that is what I am trying to do with my school issue!
Caroline2

I woud find it difficult to call in as I would be so upset that I might not make any sense. I wonder if it would be useful to write a letter to the program producer?
Perhaps he coud have had an expert speaker or Anaphylaxis Canada representative at the station to inform and advise. Does he think he is doing the public a service to fill the airwaves with untruths and hate?
Grrrr

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

you know what in all honesty sometimes something that is one sided gets MORE of a reaction because it gets people talking because so many people were (or are) in an uproar about the topic, that people who may never have ever heard the show, or of the radio annocer will hear the issue, and that's really what's important when it comes to issues, not what is said on the air, but the dialogues it starts between differet people

the reason i won't listen to most radio call in shows are that they are designed to be one sided to appeal to a certain kind of listener, i realise everything has its biases and you have to keep those in mind when you're dealing with media...

for other posters in ottawa look at some the issues lowell green (who's opinions i do not agree with) has dealt with, and a lot of times the issue is brought to light on the six o'clock news because of the backlash, and often times these are HUGE issues and because the peroblem is that the show was one sides both sides are presented to a larger audience (for those of you outside ottawa lowell green is a right winged blow hard who is lucky that we do not live in the days of lynch mobs, or some left wingers would have gotten him by now)

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allergies - penicillin, benadryl, dust mites, enviornmental & chemical
conditions - dermatographism, eczema, well contorolled asthma
dietary - lactose intollerant, vegatarian

Your right Gwen, at least there was an opportunity for people to call in to refute his comments. I would have loved for him to hear what you had to say! I really only caught the last 5-10 mins of the show. I thought about calling in myself, but like you Susan, I was so hot under the collar at the time, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to put a clear statement together. I caught two callers who tried their best to set him straight...
A grandmother called in to say that while she respected his right to eat peanuts and nut products and hand out whatever candy he wanted, that she hoped he would be considerate enough to wash his hands before handing out candy, because many children like her 4-year-old grandson can have a life threatening reaction to even trace amounts of peanut. His response: well if that's the case, it's irresponsible of you to bring him out for Hallowe'en.
A young woman called in who worked in a daycare tried to explain to him (in response to his comments that allergic children need to know how to take care of themselves and not rely on society) that 1, 2, 3, 4-year-old children rely on the adults in their lives to protect them because they haven't yet learned how to protect themselves. He brushed her off and took another caller.
I do realize that shows like his take such a one-sided approach to a topic and choose emotionally charged subjects as a way to create controversy and spark discussion (and ultimately increase ratings). I just hope that the public doesn't take his ignorant comments and use them to remain "allergy unaware". I just think about all the work that each one of us is doing in our own lives to increase awareness. I think about how we don't "expect" that others accomodate our children's allergies (in social situations) but boy how grateful we are when they do. We as parents work very hard (oftentimes behind the scenes) so that our child's allergy doesn't define who they are and so that they're free to participate alongside everyone else.

I hate radio shows like this one - not because this guy is just trying to stir the pot (or the wasps' nest...?) but because of what you all have said - that they are not interested in a dialogue - they just want to rant. They are always totally one-sided.

Lowell Green here in Ottawa is one person that I can't listen to. He had a call-in show awhile ago about asthma - "are more children getting asthma?" - because his grandson had just ended up in the hospital because of asthma. A friend alerted me so I tuned in.

Well, he didn't want anyone to offer opinions or ideas about WHY asthma is on the rise. He just literally wanted people to "vote" yes or no. It was a complete waste of time and I turned off the radio after about 5 minutes. Every time a caller tried to explain WHY asthma might be on the rise, he cut them off. These shows are really just excuses for these people to hear their own voices, in my opinion. They do nothing to educate or elucidate. Half an hour of the same opinion... who cares??

Okay, rant mode off.

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma