Allergy & Asthma Network Hails Major Victory For Students' Rights To Carry Medications At School
VIENNA, Va., Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Allergy & Asthma Network, a leading nonprofit patient education and advocacy organization, today commended New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signing into law legislation that protects students who experience anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, in school.
With the signing of Assembly Bill A9334B/Senate Bill S7758, New York becomes the 50th U.S. state to ensure students' rights to self-carry and administer prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors in school. New York students already have the right to self-carry prescribed asthma medications including bronchodilator inhalers.
"This legislation is a significant milestone in the national movement to protect students with asthma and life-threatening allergies at school," says Tonya Winders, president and CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network (The Network). "We applaud the many parents, students, volunteers, legislators and community activists who worked tirelessly to support self-carry laws in all 50 states."
Nationwide self-carry legislation for asthma and anaphylaxis medications is 10 years in the making. In 2004, The Network, working with stakeholder groups and volunteer advocates, supported federal legislation encouraging states to protect students' rights to carry and use bronchodilator inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors in school. The campaign to get similar laws passed in all 50 states culminated with Gov. Cuomo's signing of the New York legislation.
In addition, Gov. Cuomo signed Assembly Bill A07791A/Senate Bill S7262A authorizing schools to stock emergency supplies of epinephrine auto-injectors and allow school nurses or designated personnel to administer epinephrine to students experiencing anaphylaxis. New York becomes the 45th U.S. state to approve stock epinephrine legislation.
"These laws will help save the lives of children who experience an anaphylactic reaction for the first time at school, or don't have epinephrine auto-injectors readily available when anaphylaxis occurs," says Jon Terry, founder of the Allergy Advocacy Association and Anaphylaxis Community Experts (ACE) volunteer from Brockport, New York. "We are thankful for Governor Cuomo's support. The leadership of state legislators Thomas Abinanti, Catherine Nolan, John J. Flanagan and Kemp Hannon in a bipartisan effort made the difference in achieving passage this year."
Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, most commonly caused by allergy to food, insect venom or latex. If there's delay in administering epinephrine, the risk of fatality greatly increases. Find out where your state stands with stock epinephrine legislation at http://www.aanma.org/advocacy/USAnaphylaxis.
About Allergy & Asthma Network
Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. Allergy & Asthma Network specializes in sharing family-friendly, medically accurate information through its award-winning publication Allergy & Asthma Today magazine, E-newsletter, website at http://www.aanma.org and numerous community outreach programs. Follow Allergy & Asthma Network on facebook.com/AANMA and twitter.com/AANMA. Join at www.aanma.org/join.
About Anaphylaxis Community Experts
The Anaphylaxis Community Experts (ACE) program is developed by Allergy & Asthma Network in partnership with the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), National Association of School Nurses and American School Health Association and sponsored by Mylan Specialty L.P. The program goal is to save lives through showing parents, school staff, emergency responders, and others how to recognize and respond immediately to anaphylaxis symptoms.
To learn more about the ACE program or request an ACE team presentation, email Brenda Silvia-Torma, ACE program manager, at [email protected].
About Allergy Advocacy Association
Based in Rochester, New York, Allergy Advocacy Association was founded as a non-profit organization to help educate people about anaphylaxis at the local level. We provide a variety of services including informational booths at health fairs and instructional speakers and materials to groups large and small. To learn more about Allergy Advocacy Association, visit: http://allergyadvocacyassociation.org/
Contact: Gary Fitzgerald
Allergy & Asthma Network
703-641-9595
[email protected]
SOURCE Allergy & Asthma Network
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