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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, As many as 15 million Americans have food | ||||||
| 3 | allergies; nearly six million are children under the age of 18; | ||||||
| 4 | and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Research shows that the prevalence of a food | ||||||
| 6 | allergy is increasing among children; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Eight foods cause the majority of all food allergy | ||||||
| 8 | reactions in the United States: shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, | ||||||
| 9 | tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat; symptoms of a food-allergic | ||||||
| 10 | reaction can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory | ||||||
| 11 | distress, and swelling of the throat; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Food allergies result in more than 200,000 | ||||||
| 13 | Emergency Department visits each year; restrictions typically | ||||||
| 14 | occur when an individual unknowingly eats a food containing an | ||||||
| 15 | ingredient to which they are allergic; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, The number of food allergy reactions requiring | ||||||
| 17 | emergency treatment has sharply increased over the past decade, | ||||||
| 18 | with a 377 percent rise in medical procedures associated with | ||||||
| 19 | anaphylaxis caused by food; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is | ||||||
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| 1 | rapid onset and may cause death; and
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| 2 | WHEREAS, There is no cure for a food allergy, and | ||||||
| 3 | scientists do not understand why; strict avoidance of the | ||||||
| 4 | offending food is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction; | ||||||
| 5 | and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) is a | ||||||
| 7 | national, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the | ||||||
| 8 | quality of life and the health of individuals with food | ||||||
| 9 | allergies; the organization also provides hope through the | ||||||
| 10 | promise of new treatments; therefore, be it
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| 11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 12 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 13 | declare the week of May 13-19, 2018 as Food Allergy Awareness | ||||||
| 14 | Week in the State of Illinois to encourage residents to | ||||||
| 15 | increase their understanding and awareness of food allergies | ||||||
| 16 | and anaphylaxis; and be it further
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| 17 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 18 | presented to FARE in recognition of their commitment to the 15 | ||||||
| 19 | million Americans with food allergies.
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