# It's a blood drive, not a competitive sport! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 13, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823 "2004-04-13T18:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/21 "2004-04-15T06:58:40Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy? You beat me to the punch, that’s exactly what I was about to ask. **irishgirl** … you’ve got mad cow disease? Genuine curiosity if that sounds like I’m about to recite an incantation and call you unclean or something. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/22 "2004-04-15T13:23:45Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > Yeah, I believe one of the recent new restrictions, at least for the American Red Cross, is that if you’ve travelled somewhere that’s on the Dept. of Agri’s “mad cow watch” list, your blood is too risky to accept. I’m in the same boat. From the [Red Cross](http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/blood/supply/tse/bsepolicy.html): > [@](#): > > As of August 17, 1999, FDA issued guidance which banned blood donations from individuals who had spent cumulative six months or more in the UK during the years when infected beef was thought to be available to market, 1980 to 1996. The United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. The ARC implemented this policy change in March 2000. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/23 "2004-04-15T13:42:56Z")
I was very distressed the last time I tried to give Canadian Blood Services my blood. My tattoo and piercings are all old enough, I just sneak by on the Britain restriction (by 6 months) and it’s been two years since I was in Mexico. So why can’t I donate now? Iron deficiency! I try, I really do try. So many people I know can’t give blood for one reason or another, so I go every time I qualify - and that they’ll let me. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/24 "2004-04-15T16:08:06Z")
> [@CuriousCanuck](#): > > So now, instead of you looking cool in front of your friends, or you pressuring your friends to donate, not only have you taken a bed away from a legit donor, you have just taken the time and resources away from tests that could have been done on 400 more units of blood (20 tests of 20 instead of 20 tests of 1 to find the offending unit(s).) This means that if there is a shortage of the particular blood type you have donated, it takes that much longer for more to get to the hospital to reach people in need, as well as cost John Q Taxpayer $10,000 that is no longer being used to save lives, but instead to cover the costs of your lie. Why wouldn’t they just test it in two batches of 10, then test the contaminated batch again in two batches of 5 and then test 2/3? I get 8.5 tests on average rather than 20. That would seem the smarter way of doing it. Even better, you can get away with 10 tests for 32 bags. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/25 "2004-04-15T16:27:41Z")
Thanks for reminding me! It’s been over 60 days since I last gave. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/26 "2004-04-15T17:02:38Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Why wouldn’t they just test it in two batches of 10, then test the contaminated batch again in two batches of 5 and then test 2/3? I get 8.5 tests on average rather than 20. That would seem the smarter way of doing it. Even better, you can get away with 10 tests for 32 bags. Simple answer: To do so would require that every unit collected had enough sample tubes collected at the time of donation to facilitate this process, meaning more blood would have to be drawn from a donor. 4 sample tubes are collected already, to have enough for retesting in this manner would take 7 or 8 at least for no real benefit, and in fact as a possible detriment. Secondly, when a test is performed on a batch of 20, it is possible that more than one donation was setting off the test markers. Therefore, each of the 20 need to be tested individually to ensure that it is clean. In any case, you lying to donate still costs more even if they employed this method of further testing. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/27 "2004-04-15T17:06:23Z")
> [@CuriousCanuck](#): > > In any case, you lying to donate still costs more even if they employed this method of further testing. I mean “you” in the generic sense of course. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/28 "2004-04-16T16:27:01Z")
For whatever it’s worth, she [apologized](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040416/ap_on_re_us/sorority_blood_lies_2), not that she really had much of a choice once she was caught. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/29 "2004-04-16T17:59:29Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > For whatever it’s worth, she [apologized](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040416/ap_on_re_us/sorority_blood_lies_2), not that she really had much of a choice once she was caught. From that link: > [@](#): > > Key faces punishment ranging from a letter of reprimand to expulsion if she is found to have violated a school standard of conduct against endangering the safety or health of others. Banken said Key has yet to appear before a school disciplinary board. I think that she should be at least suspended for a year, if not outright expelled. If the sorority is wise and has any sense of justice, it will also formally expel her and cut all ties with her. I think expulsion from the sorority and/or school will hurt her more than anything, and yes, I DO want her to suffer. The sorority was ordered to forfeit all of the blood drive points it earned, according to one news story. I also want her to be prosecuted for whatever they can charge her with. Even though blood agencies test their donations, she has put everyone at risk with this little stunt. I am furious about this. I take blood donation very seriously, and used to donate regularly before my health prevented it. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/30 "2004-04-16T18:45:47Z")
IMO, the sorority should also be required to make restitution for at least the time and supplies that were wasted. I also think that the university should re-think the use of blood drives as competitions. In theory, I think that people should make an effort to donate blood, but it should be because it’s the right thing to do, not because there are brownie points or tangible rewards attached to it. Robin ---
**Author:** ![jmizzou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@jmizzou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmizzou)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823/31 "2004-04-16T23:24:07Z")
A bit more information from the [student newspaper](http://www.themaneater.com/story.cgi?id=18759) published today. > [@](#): > > Mark Lucas, Department of Student Life interim director, said the department initiated judicial proceedings in response to Key’s e-mail. According to the Standard of Conduct outlined in the M-Book, an action that “threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person” could lead to sanctions, but Lucas would not comment on the specific part of the conduct code Key violated. > > Lucas said sanctions range from rendering Key not responsible to expelling her. He said the Department of Student Life has approximately 20 sanctions, such as community service, reflection papers or educational programs. Lucas said the process’ results will not be public unless Key signs a waiver releasing the information. I doubt she’ll get more than a slap on the wrist. I understand the anger that many people have for her, but she was parroting the common Greek Blood Drive mindset here - get all the blood donors you can, no matter what. I’d feel better rooting for her sorority to expulse her if I didn’t know that her sorority was encouraging that kind of behavior in the first place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-blood-drive-not-a-competitive-sport/239823.md?page=1)