[ProtectOurFreedom]

Oddly, I don't remember kids dropping dead in the cafeteria during peanut-butter day.

You beat me to it. It was the staple in the late 50s and early 60s and I sure don't recall many writhing bodies on the floor or ER. Maybe peanut allergy is somehow related to ADD which also didn't seem to exist in my youth.

[retrokitten]

I was in grade school in the 80's and don't remember ever hearing of anyone with a peanut allergy either. I still don't know anyone with one as an adult.

[AppyPappy]

We had ADD in my day. I was a prime example. We just didn't have Ritalin.

I'm convinced that TV and video games are responsible for worsened ADD. Personal experience only.

[nuffsenuff]

Peanut allergies are real.

I've seen it happen.

My nephew is very allergic and he got a hold of a chocolate chip cookie that was made in the same factory that makes peanut butter cookies and his throught closed up and he couldn't breath.

Luckily, my wife is a PICU nurse and happened to have an EpiPen in her purse.

[tfecw]

that's cause in your day (and my parents were a throw back) the cure for ADD was a spanking or a stern lecturing on the importance of school, extra chores, or not being able to go out with friends.

Now a days it's ridilen.

okay that is over simplifying the problem. In my Opinion more then half of ADD cases is the explanation used for bad teachers, bad parents, and dumb kids. I'd say less then half, maybe less then a third is because kids need actual brain or mood altering drugs

[Modernman]

Maybe peanut allergy is somehow related to ADD which also didn't seem to exist in my youth

ADD is severely over-diagnosed. The majority of kids (mostly boys) who are diagnosed with ADD are normal, high-energy kids.

ADD does exist and kids who really have it should be treated. However, real ADD sufferers make up a minority of the kids who are "diagnosed" with ADD.