Quebec makes a band apart from food allergies in schools. It is the only Canadian province not to have standards on what is allowed or not to provide in lunch boxes.
Posted at 10:09 a.m.
Sébastien Auger
Canadian press
At the time of dinner and snack, it is an unlimited buffet where everyone is free to choose. This responsibility is the responsibility of school service centers (CSS), but also, in some cases, the schools themselves. So decided the government.
“There is currently only one provincial protocol or politics on the management of food allergies in schools. However, the Ministry of Education (MEQ) leads to reflections, with the Ministry of Health, on the supervision of allergies in schools, “said the MEQ through its spokesperson, Bryan St-Louis .
The ministry maintains that legal executives do not allow it to impose rules to manage food allergies. “It therefore belongs to educational establishments, school service centers and school boards to determine and apply security measures. »»
The Allergies Quebec organization has long demanded a national protocol for a long time. Dominique Lord, the director of communications and development, deplores political immobility.
“There is a legislative vacuum. We have been asking for more than 15 years that there is an adjustment to the current regulation, a law which would oblige school boards and service centers to acquire a policy to ensure that we treat the children at risk in the same way. But there is still nothing that moves, there is no concrete advancement. There is no political will. »»
Mme Lord hoped that “the authorities would mobilize and create a uniform security net” after the death of a 6-year-old girl, Megann Ayotte Lefort, occurred in 2010 in a school in Pointe-aux-Trembles, “But nothing has been done “, which it describes as” incomprehensible “.
She recalls that Ontario adopted the Sabrina Law After the death of little Sabrina Shannon. This “flagship law” requires that each school board establish a policy on anaphylaxis to help students with serious allergies.
The body allergies Canada stresses that “it is the first law of its kind around the world” and that it “served as a model for the implementation of laws in other Canadian provinces and territories, similarly than in the United States ”.
According to the echoes that Mme Lord hears, “it is very well received in other provinces”.
She prays the government of Quebec to follow suit. “I hope things will change and we will see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Let us make sure to have standardized protocols. Let us offer solid and compulsory training as well as tools to all teaching staff and support staff so that everyone can recognize signs and symptoms. »»
It argues that it is crucial since 20 % of severe allergic reactions occur at school, that “you are brushing to death” in the event of anaphylactic shock and that the number of students affected is up 18 % since 10 years. Today, the proportion of children suffering from food allergies is between 6 and 8 %.
Why banish?
Failing to have national standards, the task returns to each CSS or school board, which then passes it on, in many cases, to each of the establishments.
Mme Lord opposes this approach. “It’s distressing to see this disparity. Whether in the region or in large centers, there is almost no school that manages things in the same way, “she said, adding, however, that” certain schools do a great job “.
If, for example, the Montreal School Service Center and the CSS Marie-Victorin, on the South Shore of Montreal, do not apply a food restriction policy, the vast majority of Quebec schools opt for the banishment.
Again, Quebec is wrong, believes Mme Lord. “We are the only ones to do it because it is our safety net. We banish when we don’t know what to do or when we are afraid. We would no longer talk about banishment if we had solid and uniform ministerial directives. »»
In his opinion, such a practice stigmatizes children and irritates parents. “It creates discontent because the parents say to themselves: it’s so complicated with the lunch boxes, I have no right to pre -fully stuff, sugar, nuts … that makes customers allergic is included in something that has a negative turn. »»
A summary in the field, allergist Philippe Bégin, of the research group on food allergies (GRAAL) of the Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center, shares the concerns of Mme Lord.
-Photo Edouard Plante-Filchette, the press archives
Allergist Philippe Bégin
The problem is that it is very variable. From what I see from my patients, there are schools that take care of that, but there are others where there is no plan and where it is anything. Sometimes it is the parents who must educate the directions. It’s not just for families.
Philippe Bégin, allergist
The Dr Bégin, which established the first clinic to desensitization of food allergies in Quebec, completely disapproves of banishment. “The ban was working at the beginning when there was just the peanuts, but we have children allergic to everything now, so we do not go out. »»
“We do not want a generalized ban. There is no point in any case. Studies show that it does not decrease the reaction rate in schools, he reports. It is a false feeling of security because allergens can still enter school, but people lower their guard. »»
Rather, he recommends the path of teaching. “The ideal situation would be that all schools apply a plan on the management of meals, snacks and activities. We need measures to manage the risks, so that each student can bring what he wants, but that it is supervised. »»
It would also take basic training. Everyone should be able to recognize an allergic reaction and know how to treat it. You also need to have discussions with students around allergies to make them aware of the fact that it is really dangerous.
Philippe Bégin, allergist
Not like in Pulp Fiction !
The remedy is harmless. Adrenaline self-injectors, the best known brand of which is Epipen, are far from dangerous, unlike popular belief.
“When you see in the film Pulp Fiction Adrenaline injected into the heart after an overdose, it is impressive, but, in reality, when it is injected into the thigh, it is absorbed gently, “explains the Dr Begin.
He uses a school metaphor to “play down the medication and make people dare to give it”. “It’s like making an oral presentation in front of the class. You have an adrenaline “rush”, your heart is beating a little faster and you may have a little “shake”, like when you are stressed. Basically, that’s all. It is not dangerous. »»
And it’s very effective.
It saves lives. Among the people who died from anaphylaxis, 80 % had not received adrenaline. Generally, in the remaining 20 %, they received it late.
Philippe Bégin, allergist
The concept of time is actually important, recalls the Dr Begin. “An allergic reaction is growing quickly. The faster you give adrenaline, the more you break the reaction. If you wait, it works anyway, but worse. It must therefore be given early. »»
You still have to know how to use it. According to this renowned allergist, “you must not just have self-injectors on site, the staff must be trained, ideally with a reminder annually”.
The government ensures that it takes care of the file. “The MEQ and the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) are to be developed a frame of reference concerning the health care activities which will, among other things, supervise the use of epinephrine auto-injectors. The MSSS provides educational establishments with training so that they can intervene with people victims of a severe allergic reaction of the anaphylactic type. This training is being revised at the MSSS, ”writes the MEQ by email.
In the meantime, the menu remains at the choice of the chief.
