Law Aids Treatment Of Severe Allergic Reactions

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation that will make it easier for Californians with life-threatening allergies to access emergency treatment.

The bill from Republican Sen. Bob Huff of Diamond Bar will allow trained and certified individuals to obtain and use emergency epinephrine auto-injectors, otherwise known as EpiPens.

Brown announced Thursday that he had signed SB669. Under previous state law, only those with a prescription for an EpiPen could administer the allergy treatment.

Huff says California now joins a growing list of states that provide training in the use of EpiPens to better protect children and adults who suffer from severe allergies.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control states that food allergies in U.S. children rose by 50 percent from 1997 to 2011.

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