By Dave Thompson
Bismarck, ND – A state Senate committee is supporting a proposal to allow students to carry asthma inhalers and certain allergy medicines in school.
The bill would give a student permission to carry emergency asthma and allergy medicine -- if the student has a note from the doctor, saying the student has been properly trained on how to handle the medicine. The school also would be protected from lawsuits when students give themselves asthma medicine.
Most North Dakota schools require that students turn in all medication, and the medication is locked up. The rules can apply to everything from aspirin to inhalers. The measures are meant to prevent illegal drug use. They also protect the school from being held responsible if a student has a bad reaction to medicine.
State Health Officer Doctor Terry Dwelle told the committee that -- with asthma attacks, time is of the essence.
"Delays incurred by school personnel who may be out to lunch, may be away from their desk, may be at a meeting -- can and has been associated not only with unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, but also deaths."
North Dakota Education Association president Gloria Lokken supports the measure.
"As a classroom teacher, I saw the panic in students' eyes, as they waited for their medication," said Lokken. "And I felt the panic as I waited for that medicine. And every field trip was scary, if you had a child that had allergies."
The Senate Education Committee voted six to zero to recommend that the full Senate approve the bill.