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[GJS]

This is absolutely horrible, there is practically no risk to the child or any other children. There is practically no chance of any harm from over usage and abuse of salbutamol inhalers, as you would be hard pressed to find someone who could actually abuse it with the correct inhaler technique.

It is standard here that the school nurse is provided with a spare inhaler in case of emergencies, but the child is also to always have on their person or close by another inhaler, because that is the whole point of it.

 

[Hale-XF11]

My wife has asthma and I'm more than aware of how it works.

Too many factors in today's age of red tape to just say, "needs to be this way". People whine and cry about too much and this system is the result of that. Does it need to be changed? Yeah, for children over a certain age. This is an example.

The harder you try to appear right, the more wrong you are.

 

[ChubbyHuggs]

Don't they do this with EpiPens?

 

[Impeccable]

The harder you try to appear right, the more wrong you are.

Care to actually add something to the conversation or just keep bleating from the sidelines like some lost sheep?

 

[Hale-XF11]

Care to actually add something to the conversation or just keep bleating from the sidelines like some lost sheep?

I don't think personal insults are acceptable on GAF, are they? *sigh*

Ah well. Jayof9s already summed up things quite well with this post.

 

[UnforgivenTwin]

I can sort of relate to this tragic story.I have asthma as well and all the schools I went to required you to turn in your inhaler.I never did though because all the what if's started running through my head. So, I just kept it in my pocket at all times.

 

[Akainu]

If I'm reading right he didn't have one with him to begin with. Why?

 

[Omegasquash]

I can sort of relate to this tragic story.I have asthma as well and all the schools I went to required you to turn in your inhaler.I never did though because all the what if's started running through my head. So, I just kept it in my pocket at all times.

Would there have been any kind of punishment if it were discovered that you had your inhaler on you?

 

[Impeccable]

I don't think personal insults are acceptable on GAF, are they? *sigh*

I don't understand you.

 

[UnforgivenTwin]

Would there have been any kind of punishment if it were discovered that you had your inhaler on you?

There was definetely a punishment involved, but I can't remember what it was.I believe they would have taken it from me, locked it up in thenurses office and told the principal.

 

[FStop7]

Plus, they're just following policy. I'm sure they feel very, very shitty and will for sometime.

They failed to follow policy. The policy was to secure the medicine so it's only accessible in case of emergency. There was an emergency and they failed in their responsibilities.

 

[Fusebox]

I can sort of relate to this tragic story.I have asthma as well and all the schools I went to required you to turn in your inhaler.I never did though because all the what if's started running through my head. So, I just kept it in my pocket at all times.

Is this an American thing? Or is this in Australia and England as well and it's a relatively new thing?

The idea of sending an asthmatic kid to school and locking up their inhaler is just, jesus fucking christ it's dumb.

 

[MattKeil]

Plus, they're just following policy. I'm sure they feel very, very shitty and will for sometime.

Rules are useless without the wisdom to know when they apply.

 

[UnforgivenTwin]

Is this an American thing? Or is this in Australia and England as well and it's a relatively new thing?

The idea of sending an asthmatic kid to school and locking up their inhaler is just, jesus fucking christ it's dumb.

Not sure if it's a regional thing, but it is horrible isn't it?

 

[Moppet13]

I can sort of relate to this tragic story.I have asthma as well and all the schools I went to required you to turn in your inhaler.I never did though because all the what if's started running through my head. So, I just kept it in my pocket at all times.

Same here, I actually turned one in and kept another in my backpack because fuck that rule. I actually got in trouble for that too, but my Mom told them to go fuck themselves so it worked out I guess.

 

[UnforgivenTwin]

Same here, I actually turned one in and kept another in my backpack because fuck that rule. I actually got in trouble for that too, but my Mom told them to go fuck themselves so it worked out I guess.

Lol yeah I never followed that dangerous and stupid rule.How are YOU going to tell me when I can have access to MY medicine?

 

[GJS]

I have to post again because as a pharmacist I just find this appalling. Children are specifically taught by us how to safely take their medication so that they can protect themselves, and then they are denied this by those who are supposed to be caring for them at school.

I imagine any doctor or paediatrician who heard a patient of their's died due to an incompetent system such as this would also be absolutely livid.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

Rules are useless without the wisdom to know when they apply.

In an Ontario school board, they always apply. There's no room for independent discretion.

 

[Brandson]

In elementary school in Toronto in the 80's kids could carry inhalers. I knew several people who each carried one around at all times. Hopefully this shameful rule is limited to that one Ottawa school. The number one responsibility of a school should be student safety, with education second. As a parent of a very allergic kid, he will be carrying his epi-pen everywhere when he's a bit older. I dare any school try to take it away or suspend him for that.

 

[Jayof9s]

I'm glad my school never had a problem with me carrying an inhaler in my backpack, I was absolutely dependent on it as a child and couldn't go anywhere without it. And as I said a few posts ago, I think there's a decent chance that I wouldn't still be alive if I'd had my inhaler locked in the principle's office.

I feel very bad for the kid and his family, his death was completely avoidable.

 

[killer rin]

What asshole at the school board thought this was a reasonably policy?

Not sure if it's a regional thing, but it is horrible isn't it?

Its a regional thing definately. I (and my siblings) went through the public school system in southern ontario (not saying which one, wasn't this one though. A few classmates and my cousin had asthma and they were all told that they were to always keep one inhaler on them at all times with one kept in the office for backup scenarios.

 

[Fusebox]

A few classmates and my cousin had amnesia and they were all told that they were to always keep one inhaler on them at all times with one kept in the office for backup scenarios.

Good idea to keep on in the office. Just in case they forgot theirs on account of that amnesia.

 

[Raistlin]

Murder??? Negligence at best.

Sure.

But the wrongful death suit will be big.

 

[hythloday]

I had asthma as a kid and my school had this rule too. All meds including inhalers had to be administered by the school nurse.

My mom agreed that it was bullshit, and told me to just keep the inhaler on me and if I got caught and got in trouble she'd take it up with the school.

Zero tolerance, zero common sense.

 

[DedValve]

EDIT: Goddamnit how?

On topic: Terribly sad news, damn the school.

 

[davepoobond]

This was pretty standard that no medication was allowed to be kept on your person. But if you needed to keep it then we had to hide it basically.

Not sure if they searched this kid for his life saving medicine everyday. Must have cost a lot to keep giving him extra inhalers that they confiscated and wouldn't give back.

 

[smr00]

By closing down a school? What does that solve? Also of your doctor said that why didn't you bring a note? That's what I did.

I did bring a note.

The school was filled with teachers who did not give a fuck. It wasn't the first time the gym teacher made me participate. I was a kid, what was i going to do? Tell him to fuck off? I jogged around assuming it would be fine because i was like 11 years old and i didn't know any better unlike a grown fucking man who sat there and watched me as i couldn't breathe.

That was the only school i ever had problems with. The other 2 schools allowed me to carry my inhaler like a school should. Asthma isn't a joke, it's serious business, especially if you have a serious case of asthma. Shut down the school? Maybe that's extreme. But the school and/or people involved SHOULD be punished. There is absolutely no excuse or defense for the assholes involved.

 

[Baki]

Heads need to roll. Jail time would be understandable. This is not acceptable.

Plus, they're just following policy. I'm sure they feel very, very shitty and will for sometime.

Feeling shitty doesn't bring her kid back.

 

[User 100115]

That is fucking heartbreaking. Damn.

 

[MikeDown]

I would file charges against the whole district if I was that mother.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

Aren't inhalers basically harmless?

 

[fallagin]

Wow. Inhalers are EMERGENCY MEDICATION. You dont lock that shit up in a dungeon you fucking idiots. They need to be sued for real, just to get it through their fucking skulls.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Completely senseless.

If someone isn't given jail time, then it's a fucking insult.

 

[slit]

Aren't inhalers basically harmless?

You can get high from them, but it's hard. Going by the same logic they should ban hand sanitizer.

These rules are made for people who are too lazy to think for themselves so they rely on no tolerance policies.

 

[poppabk]

Yes.. but this is an inhaler. How on earth would you abuse an inhaler? Pain meds or something I could understand... but inhalers...

Highly prevelant apparently.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376804/

 

[killer rin]

Good idea to keep on in the office. Just in case they forgot theirs on account of that amnesia.

..wow I dont even know how that got there.

 

[aly]

What a weird rule. My sister has asthma and the school kept a second emergency inhaler for her in the nurses office. Heck they made sure she always had the first one with her in case something like this happened. I feel so sorry for the family.

Actually, why the principle's office and not a nurse or something?

 

[captmorgan]

Any one know what the rules are about epipens? I went to school and worked with people that would only have minutes to take it if they had a reaction.

How would a kid possible get to the principles office in time?

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

Weird. In school, I kept extra inhalers in my backpack. Nobody cared. I'm old though, haha.