I think the next wave to change our nation and how we manage and respond to life threatening allergies and anaphylaxis just washed ashore!  Change is happening in Florida right now, following Oregon’s lead:  authorized access for business to stock and use epinephrine during a life threatening allergic emergency.  Yesterday, the Florida Senate unanimously passed SB1122-Emergency Allergy Treatment– after the Florida House did the same!  This translates to any Florida business or “entity” now  able to stock and use epinephrine auto-injectors during an allergic emergency.  This bill is on now on its way to Florida Governor Rick Scott’s desk to be signed into law.  Think of restaurants, camps, sporting arenas or theme parks all stocking EpiPen®, Auvi-Q® or Adrenaclick® epinephrine auto-injectors.  These injectors are joining AED’s in the world of public  emergency life saving response.  THIS IS BIG DEAL.  I’ll give you three teenage reasons why…

Dialo Robbins-Brinson

• Dialo Robbins-Brinson  – died after eating food containing nuts at restaurant.
• Jharrell Dillard–  died from allergic reaction after eat a cookie in a Walmart parking lot.
• Jack Irvine– died after unknowingly eating a cookie containing nuts at camp.

The common link:  no immediate access to life saving epinephrine.  Emergency services were called, but as we all know, every second counts and the wait time was too long.

If the businesses, where all three of these teenage boys died, were authorized to stock and use life threatening epinephrine auto-injectors, I wonder if they would be alive today?

Our work encouraging states to mandate stock epinephrine in all schools is still a priority.  We simply need every state to require their schools to stock epinephrine-not just authorize.  It has saved lives here in Nevada—it’s proven.  There is much work to be done in schools and so many parent advocates have their sleeves rolled up and are working hard right now.  Keeping our attention and energy on schools is key,  BUT at the same time reaching out deeper to our communities that support our families with life threatening allergies and anaphylaxis in their day-to-day world is the natural next step.

Do you believe “entity” stock epinephrine law has a place in your community and state?