Does wealth create peanut allergies?

Illustration for article titled Does wealth create peanut allergies?







Top image: Bobcatnorth on Flickr.


When I was in school in the not-so-distant '90s, there was one kid in our school with a peanut allergy. We all thought it was bizarre, and pretty much left it at that. It's not like he was a social outcast or anything, hell, he was an athlete. It was no big deal, he knew what he could and couldn't eat, and everyone lived our lives.

Now, I sit at my desk and listen to my coworkers with kids talk about how insanely restrictive their lunch requirements are. It's not just that kids can't bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into school anymore, there are long lists of things that aren't allowed in school.

I mean, I'm all for protecting people with allergies, but what the hell? Are there *so* many kids with peanut allergies now that schools have to be a damn Stage IV clean room? It's weird to me, and I'm a pretty liberal dude. I get how dangerous it is, believe me I do, but where does it stop?