In brief, a 12-year-old boy with asthma was not allowed to keep his asthma inhaler with him. After all, he might, well, he might, well, you know kids and drugs and all that.
So, the school kept his inhaler locked up in the principle’s office. Problem was that when the kid developed a bad attack, by the time he had been carried, yes carried, to principle’s office, and by the time they found the damn key, the boy was dead.
But at least he didn’t abuse his inhaler.
(NB - in Canada, the inhaler was almost certainly Ventolin and not the more stimulating, older preparations that may still be used elsewhere in the world. In other words, NO abuse potential even with “OD”)
The policy was the same at my kid’s schools - the staff always kept the inhaler, so she usually had another stashed in her backpack. I waited years for the call that they had found it and she was suspended or some foolish thing, but it never came.
It’s not anywhere close to definitive but the comments on the reddit thread about it made it seem that it’s a widespread policy across the US, at least and the general response is to have a second secret inhaler that the student keeps hidden on them to use when necessary.
Can’t really use an inhaler if its at the bottom of a backpack - I assume the worry is the kid would get in trouble if she needed to use it around a teacher.
I understand that the policy varies by school. The intent of the bill is to ensure that there is a standard policy - one that allows a child to carry needed medication.
So the subsequent comment from an idiot about “nanny states” is completely incorrect. But that’s typical from folks who tend to comment without knowing the facts. It’s comforting for them.
Ontario happens to not be a State, it is a Province. I have been there many times and never was issued a Nanny, nor did I ever see anyone with a Nanny other than small children. I believe you are mistaken.
Oh wait you are ranting about Healthcare for all provided by the Government at a reasonable price. That is an example of good Governance and has nothing to do with Nannies.
I seem to remember some sort of important document, er what was it? Well it has this quote
“Provide for the General welfare”
That would seem to allow if not encourage the US Government to do a very similar thing.
Yea my school said the same thing, that my asthma inhaler had to be locked up. My mom supported me carrying one in secret 100%, I kept it in my pocket. My mom was from Germany and really paranoid about government, she used to say the USA government wants to secretly murder children.
So it was cool having a mother back up my raging anti-authoritarian streak.
Before about 1980 (give or take), inhalers containing adrenalin (aka epinephrine) or an adrenalin-like drug called isoproterenol were used to treat acute asthma attacks. They worked, but were also very ‘speed-like’ in their effects. So, some people (ab)used them for the revved up feeling they provided.
Modern inhalers for immediate relief of asthma attacks typically contain salbuterol (trade name Ventolin) or similar drugs which open up the breathing tubes with essentially none of the ‘speed-like’ effects.
