FOOD ALLERGY SUPPORT GROUP BACKS LEGISLATION
I wanted to follow up with you
on the work that our Monmouth County Food Allergy Support Group has been doing.
We have been working on trying to get Bill S341 passed which would allow for EMT
Basics to carry and administer epinephrine on ambulances. Currently only EMT-paramedics
are allowed to carry and administer epinephrine. Since the number of
Basics(23,000) far exceeds the number of paramedics(1,800) in the state you can
see the problem. Epinephrine is the only thing that will help a person in
anaphylactic shock so if a basic responded they would be unable to help save
that persons life.
On this past Thursday I
attended the senate hearing on bill S341 and it passed in the senate
unanimously. The next step is for the assembly to pass the sister bill A667 and
then it would be on to the Governor. We pray the bill will pass because it will
definitely save lives especially given that severe allergies are on the rise.
Just in case anyone is
interested our Food Allergy Support Group meets once a month, 1st Monday of each
month, at the office of Dr. Tina Zecca, Asthma and Sinus Center, 1 Branch
Avenue, Red Bank, NJ. Our next meeting will be June 3, 2002, and Dr. Zecca will
be presenting a new slide show on food allergies. If anyone is interested they
can reach Cindy at 872-9514.
Cindy Marrone
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
