PRINTER'S NO. 944
No. 109 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, MAY 1, 2007
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 1, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of May 13 through 19, 2007, as "Food
2 Allergy Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Food allergy reactions cause 30,000 visits to the
4 emergency room and 150 deaths each year; and
5 WHEREAS, These deaths occur when individuals unknowingly eat
6 a food containing an ingredient to which they are allergic; and
7 WHEREAS, Approximately 12 million Americans have food
8 allergies; and
9 WHEREAS, Children are the largest group affected by food
10 allergies; and
11 WHEREAS, Symptoms can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea,
12 respiratory distress and swelling of the throat; and
13 WHEREAS, Eight foods--shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, tree nuts,
14 peanuts, soy and wheat--cause 90% of all food allergy reactions;
15 and
16 WHEREAS, There is no cure for potentially fatal food
17 allergies; and
1 WHEREAS, Strict avoidance of the offending food is the only
2 way to prevent a reaction; and
3 WHEREAS, Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe allergic reaction
4 involving major organs in the body simultaneously; and
5 WHEREAS, In severely allergic individuals, anaphylaxis can
6 cause death in a matter of minutes; and
7 WHEREAS, Eating in restaurants and at schools poses the
8 highest risk for people with food allergies; and
9 WHEREAS, Often, wait staff and cafeteria staff are not aware
10 of the ingredients used to prepare the food they are serving and
11 are unequipped to handle a reaction; and
12 WHEREAS, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is a
13 national, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the
14 public about food allergies and anaphylaxis, a potentially life-
15 threatening allergic reaction; therefore be it
16 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the week of May 13
17 through 19, 2007, as "Food Allergy Awareness Week" in
18 Pennsylvania.
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