Details of the motion
Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak has filed a motion to mandate that all Toronto restaurants carry stock epinephrine, which are epinephrine auto-injectors that are not prescribed for a particular person and can be used in an emergency. The motion will be presented at an upcoming Council meeting this Wednesday, March 29, 2017.
We support the City of Toronto as it begins a dialogue on food allergies, including the consideration for stock epinephrine in restaurants and other public facilities. However, we urge the Council to adopt a motion that recognizes food allergies as a public health issue, including having policies and practices in place that support awareness and training in restaurants, community centres, and other appropriate public facilities.
Food allergies directly affect more than 2.5 million Canadians, including more than 200,000 people in the City of Toronto alone. Even a small amount of an allergen, when ingested, can trigger a potentially life-threatening reaction.
As the national advocacy and education organization for people with food allergies, we have worked with the government on developing comprehensive policies, based on evidence, that reduce the risk of a serious allergic reaction. We welcome the opportunity to work with the City of Toronto on making dining out safer for individuals with food allergies.
Have your voice be heard on making dining out safer. If you live in the City of Toronto, contact your local City Councillor by Wednesday March 29, 2017 and advocate for the following:
- For the City of Toronto to undertake a comprehensive review on the effective management of food allergies in restaurants, community centres, and other public facilities.
- For the City of Toronto to engage Food Allergy Canada, allergists, the Board of Public Health, the restaurant industry, and others in a respectful dialogue to inform this review.
Shared responsibility when dining out
We believe that the safe management of food allergies is a shared responsibility. Individuals with food allergies, and the parents of young children, must take ownership of their allergies. This means taking precautions to minimize the risk of an allergic reaction, including when dining out. Some of these preventative measures include carrying your own epinephrine auto-injector (e.g. EpiPen®) when eating out, and communicating with the restaurant to inform them of your food allergies. At the same time, we work with industry and government to identify reasonable accommodations that reduce the risk of avoidable reactions.
For more information and resources on safely managing allergies while dining out, click here.