U.S. Passes School Allergy Law

On Jan. 4, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA), which requires federal guidelines on how to manage and prevent food allergies and anaphylaxis in U.S. schools.

“We are thrilled with the passage of FAAMA, which provides schools nationwide with the resources to easily put policies in place that will protect students with food allergies,” Julia Bradsher, CEO of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, said in a press release.

FAAN was largely responsible for writing FAAMA and spearheaded a five-year lobby, which included letter-writing campaigns and three Kids’ Congress sessions on Capitol Hill. Bradsher paid homage to the efforts and perseverance of those kids and families, calling the passing of FAAMA “a tremendous accomplishment for the food allergy community.”

Tens of thousands of people across the United States have supported FAAN’s initiative since 2005 when it was initially proposed during the inaugural Kids’ Congress on Capitol Hill.

The federal government will now create and provide materials to schools on how to manage food allergies. Given the growing numbers of food-allergic children and the continuing issues such as varied approaches to managing allergies and anaphylaxis, the law is expected to have a positive impact on families across America.

“As a parent of a child who suffers from severe food allergies, I know firsthand the distress this can cause young children and their families,” noted Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) as the act passed as part of the larger Food Safety Bill. “As the number of children with food allergies continues to rise, FAAMA will establish guidelines for the management of food allergies in schools – protecting the well-being of millions of children with life-threatening allergies,” he said.

FAAMA: What will it mean? View

More on law at FAAN’s site – here.