RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina legislators are considering a law aimed at getting schools prepared to treat children who suffer severe allergic reactions.
A state House committee on Tuesday is scheduled to hear a measure that would require epinephrine auto-injectors in schools and at school-sponsored events. They deliver a dose of adrenaline that counters the effects of a life-threatening allergic reaction.
The law also requires school nurses or other school employees to be trained before injecting students with epinephrine.
The state’s pediatric physicians say with child allergies on the rise, the legislation could save a life since one in four allergic reactions occurring at school happen to students who were not previously diagnosed.
A similar law was adopted in Virginia last year after a 7-year-old died from an allergic reaction to peanuts.