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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Approximately 32 million people in the United
3States have food allergies; Results from a 2015 to 2016 survey
4of more than 38,000 children indicated that 5.6 million
5children, or nearly 8%, have food allergies; that is one in 13
6children, or roughly two in every classroom; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Children with food allergies are two to four times
8more likely to have other related conditions such as asthma and
9other allergies, compared with children without food
10allergies; this is of great importance as children with a
11coexisting food allergy and asthma may be more likely to
12experience anaphylactic reactions to foods and be at high risk
13of death; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Food allergy is a potentially serious immune
15response to eating specific foods or food additives; eight
16types of food (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish,
17soy, and wheat) account for over 90% of allergic reactions in
18affected individuals; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Reactions to these foods by an allergic person can
20range from a tingling sensation around the mouth and lips or
21hives to death, depending on the severity of the allergy; every
22three minutes a food allergy reaction sends someone to the

 

 

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1emergency room; each year in the U.S., 200,000 people require
2emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food; between
32007 and 2016, medical procedures to treat anaphylaxis
4resulting from food increased by 377%; more than 40% of
5children with food allergies have experienced a severe allergic
6reaction such as anaphylaxis; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The mechanisms by which a person develops an
8allergy to specific foods are largely unknown; food allergies
9are more prevalent in children than adults, and a majority of
10affected children will outgrow food allergies with age;
11children under age 5 years had higher rates of reported food
12allergy compared with children at 5 to 17 years of age; boys
13and girls had similar rates of food allergy; and
 
14    WHEREAS, A food allergy can sometimes become a lifelong
15concern; food allergies can greatly affect children and their
16families' well-being; annually, caring for children with food
17allergies costs U.S. families nearly $25 billion; there are
18some indications that the prevalence of food allergies may be
19increasing in the United States and in other countries; and
 
20    WHEREAS, A food allergy is an impairment that limits a
21major life activity and may qualify an individual for
22protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
23(ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Increased food allergy awareness will lead to
2greater public understanding of these health problems and will
3lead to more life-saving research on the subject; therefore, be
4it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7we declare May Food Allergy Awareness Month.