Important Thread Reminds Us To Always Take Food Allergies Seriously

When I was a kid I was obsessed with peanut butter. I'd go to my friends' houses and eat it straight out of the jar when I thought they weren't looking. I shoplifted Reese's cups and dreamed about Butterfingers. It wasn't because I had an actual addition - it was just because my sister was (and maybe still is?) deathly allergic to peanuts. It was a pretty early discovery for my household, but not early enough for me to forget the sumptuous joy of bread slathered in rich and creamy peanut butter. My desire for the stuff directly related to the fact that it was forbidden in my household.

When the allergy first presented itself, I can remember my mom ridding the cabinets of anything that even had traces of the nuts. I cried and whined about it, and then she told me a horrifying story about a woman who died because someone put peanut butter in a chili and wasn't honest about their secret ingredient. It was then that I first understood that food allergies are no joke.

Since my childhood, allergies have only become more prevalent. Gone are airline peanuts and bar nuts. Epi-pens are pretty normal, as are medical bracelets and restaurant allergy checks. So why is it that there are still people who feel it's okay to brush allergies off as if they're not a big deal? They can be straight-up life-threatening. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Twitter user @DiaryofaSickGrl tweeted about this exact phenomenon, inspired by a rude host who served her father pepper - a food he's extremely allergic to - despite having knowledge of his allergy. The thread garnered a lot of attention from users, who were eager to chime in with their own experiences and opinions on the matter.

Posted by Ada Elder