LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An allergy to latex can come with a lot of limits on where you can go and what you can do. Some clothing, medical procedures, and even visits to restaurants become potential problems.
Lisa Kramer, a resident of Minden, told Nevada lawmakers on Thursday about some of the difficulties she has run into. She won’t get vaccines administered with a syringe that has a latex plunger, or if the vial stopper is made of latex. She leaves the room if someone comes in with a balloon.
“Once, I had an ultrasound where they used latex, and I knew within seconds. The technician told me it was my fault for not reminding her even though the allergy was in my chart. The internal pain of the exposure lasted for an entire week,” Kramer said.
“I don’t wear clothes with elastic waistbands, I buy special latex-free underwear, swimsuits, socks and one particular brand of shoes because their whole line is latex-free,” Kramer said.
With more exposure, the allergy gets worse, she said. She was surprised when she had a reaction after eating a strawberry until she found out it had been picked by a worker using latex gloves.
Republican Sen. Jeff Stone has introduced Senate Bill 184 (SB184) to ban the use of latex gloves in food and health care settings, which could bring some relief to Kramer and other Nevadans who are allergic.
“It could prevent my latex allergy from getting worse, and it could save my life,” Kramer said.
Statistics vary greatly on how big the problem is for Americans. Some estimates say 1% to 6% of all Americans are allergic to latex. An OSHA report puts it at 8% to 12% for health care workers.
Stone’s bill follows the lead of eight other states that have banned latex gloves: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon and Rhode Island. It makes a violation a misdemeanor that could lead to the suspension of a health permit.
He has already made adjustments to SB184, knocking out prohibitions on other latex items and focusing solely on gloves. An amendment would allow the rule to be suspended in the event of supply problems for other types of gloves, and some provisions allow for exceptions under some circumstances.
Other senators were wary of taking a step as extreme as banning all latex gloves.
Republican Sen. Robin Titus, who is a physician, said there are no bans on peanuts or cucumbers, food items with known implications for people who are allergic.
“I use latex gloves. I especially use them not only in procedures, but out, I’m cleaning the deer, I’m out harvesting an animal. I want the best glove out there. Strong. And latex is that glove,” Titus said. She’s tried other gloves and they break.
Democratic Sen. Fabian Doñate suggested that maybe a menu warning would be a less extreme step that lawmakers could agree on, but Stone countered that he didn’t want to require every restaurant to reprint their menu.
“When there’s such low-cost alternatives, and many restaurants have already gone to non-latex, a lot of health care facilities have already gone to non-latex. It just seems like a very logical thing to do. It’s not causing any financial insults to any of our businesses. That’s the last thing as a businessman that I’d ever want to do. I just want to try to minimize anybody getting sick,” Stone said.
