Young people between 16-24 years old are frequently recognised as being most at risk of anaphylaxis. This may in part be due to an decrease in parent support as they reach adulthood, more risk taking including experimenting with new foods, travelling alone or with friends, reluctance to share information and resistance to carrying an AAI on them at all times.
Some young people can often feel embarrassed when speaking about their allergy and working with the Food Standards Agency and Allergy UK, our #EasytoASK campaign aims to empower young people, make them aware of their right to safe food, and raise awareness amongst peers and food businesses.
We have also worked with the multi-award winning production company Bare Films, to produce a 2 minute film aimed at young people which aims to raise awareness of the cause and highlight the importance of carrying their Adrenaline Auto-Injector (AAI). The social stigmatisation of carrying an AAI and the extreme pressures on teenagers to ‘fit-in’ and seem ‘normal’ can lead to not carrying their medication with them at all times, a risky and potentially life-threatening action. Watch it here.