My son brought home a permission slip that I need to sign in order for him to use hand sanitizer in school. (which was on our list of things to bring) Why is permission needed? I know when something like this occurs it is because something prompted it, so I am curious. Is their a risk to using hand sanitizer? I have never been concerned, but now I am worried that I should be..... anyone know?
There are so many people out there that think the school is there to raise their children and when something goes wrong they sue. Most likely a CYA permission slip.
The note my daughter brought home stated that the reason for the permission slip is because there are some kids allergic to the hand sanitzier, therefore if your child doesn't have a signed permission slip they can't use it. Duh if my kid is allergic, you better bet your butt I'm gonna make sure the school knows it.
just a note of caution my daughter thought it was cool to use hand sanitizer an carry it in her purse, we had to take it away her palms really started peeling bad from using it . i guess the alcohal or whatever is in it can be dangerously drying if they use it to much. id hate to see what would happen getting it in their eyes. just a fyi on that stuff.
"Okay, you 18 kids over here. Get in line for the hand sanitizer" "You, 5 kids. Well, I guess you are just SOL. You don't have a permission slip on file for Hand Sanitizer AND we are out of soap and papertowels in the lavatory. Good Luck with that E-Coli!!!"
Sanitzers As a general rule, I think they are a bad idea. While they do kill bacteria, they do practically nothing to eliminate viruses, which are the primary transmissible disease vector in places like school. The flu, the cold... all viruses. The only way to protect yourself in a realistic manner is constant hand washing. However, most people feel that because they use a sanitzer, they do not need to wash their hands. So, viruses are spread pretty freely. Make sure your kids wash their hands frequently, and teach them the importance of good hygeine. No eye rubbing, no nose picking, especially when the hands have not been freshly washed.
Actually hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial soap and the like can be and is harmful to the skin if used too often. And you don't have to be allergic to them for them to affect you. The chemicals that they use to destroy the bateria and germs is strong enough to deteriorate your skin with repeated constant use, not to mention of robbing your skin of the natural oils it needs to protect and revitalize itself. And don't think that just by using one that contains aloe or lotion to offset what the chemicals strip away. Craig
Unfortunately i actually experienced that in the past. While bartending we had to use a sanitizer in our rinse water for all glasses and after about 9 months of doing that daily, i developed some nasty problems with my nails and the doctor basically said the same thing Craig said. After taking forever to clear it up, i always wore gloves from then on out.
I sent an email to the county's head school nurse and she said this policy was in keeping with the State Board of Education's policy on "medicated substances". She said they are planning a news release on this soon. More than one person has given me the reason that some kids have adverse reactions to the chemicals. So in order to protect a small number of kids, we forego cleaner hands for thousands of other kids? Which is the greater good? Why aren't we also banning peanut butter and eggs from the schools? How many of you believe your kids are waiting for the water to get warm (assuming it ever does), lathering their hands for 20 seconds, cleaning between their fingers and around their fingernails, etc? And how many opportunities do they get to wash their hands during the day? Are paper towels and soap ALWAYS available? Are the teachers monitoring both bathrooms to make sure everyone is even washing their hands at all? Doubtful. I understand what's been said about viruses, but there are also plenty of cases of strep throat. I think they should allow hand sanitizer as an additional precaution. If the only kids who use it are the ones with permission slips, it doesn't do much good for the school as a whole. Here is a site for schools and parents that is recommended by the CDC and the US Dept of Health & Human Services. www.itsasnap.org From the site: "A case-control study of 6,080 school children showed that those who used classroom-dispensed, instant hand sanitizers at specific times during the day, in addition to normal hand cleaning habits, experienced 20% fewer absences due to illness."
