Press Releases

 Today, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright introduced the Alerting Local Leaders and Ensuring Responsible Guidelines for Youth (ALLERGY) Act.  The legislation would require schools to enact a policy that addresses allergy bullying.  In a recent survey published by Pediatrics, approximately one-third of children with food allergies (eight percent of children, or 5.9 million children, in the United States) reported having been bullied specifically because of their allergy.

The ALLERGY Act would require each school to educate both students and school personnel about the dangers of allergy bullying and make it clear that such behavior is not allowed.  In addition, each school’s policy must clearly define the punishment or response for violation of the rule.  Lastly, the policy must have in effect guidelines that encourage victims of allergy bullying to report such incidents to school personnel.  

“As the father of two sons, I firmly believe that every child deserves to go to school in a safe and nurturing environment.  Bullying is a serious problem that can inflict long-term physical, emotional, and mental harm,” said Cartwright.  “Allergy bullying is particularly troubling because just one instance can cause a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.  This legislation would address a growing yet neglected problem within our nation’s schools.  No student should have to attend school in fear of their peers.”

The legislation has been introduced with the support of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA).

“Bullying has a significant social and emotional impact on children with food allergies,” said John L. Lehr, chief executive officer of FARE. “Research released earlier this year demonstrates it is important to identify and address cases of bullying proactively. The bill introduced today is an important step in educating and raising awareness of the physical dangers and emotional toll imposed by a new form of bullying in this country.”