I... did not realize this was such a big problem at baseball parks O_o;

[FallenStar]

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/16/allergic-baseball-fans-get-peanut-free-zone/?hpt=T2

Apparently, if you seat yourself in one of these two sections, you can no longer get peanut-products at a baseball game.

Supposedly, this is to accommodate people with peanut allergies but honestly, I didn't realize this was such a big problem.  O_o;

[oramisho]

Peanut allergies have become widespread in the USA, though not so much in other countries. This is rumored to be partly due to how processing is done on the plants in the US,  which a lot of people are having an allergic reaction to(or so ive heard anyway). Considering peope have died form peanut allergies, its a big deal.

I on the other hand, can eat peanuts just fine and love to.

[JackO]

I have a nut allergy... so we have both sides of the coin in this debate... personally I don't get a reaction to them if i'm in the same room/space as them... only if I eat them, so obviously someone near me eating peanuts wouldn't really bother me except for the fact that I dislike the smell. However, I have known people with severe enough allergies that when they breathe in any trace of peanuts, they start to react... which depending on the severity of their allergy (which if they are affected by breathing in traces, is usually pretty severe) death, is possible... from anaphylactic reaction.

Now, in my view... while it is important to accomodate for everyone... I mean, I find it a bit perplexing when there's not a 'nut free' option in cookies or something... but in an open air park, I don't think it'd be as big of a problem as to create nut free zones, although I could imagine a scenario where the person next to an allergy sufferer is eating peanuts and so accidentally triggers a reaction... so I dunno... its a bit extreme, but what with all the health and safety and people suing people in America... I think its completely necessary, for them to cover their backs in case of being sued... plus it protects nut allergy sufferers at least... who I sympathise with. Its not exactly ruining people's game to not let them eat nuts, is it?

[Serika]

Food allergy = anaphylactic shock, not just a runny nose, so it actually is a big problem.

However, I have known people with severe enough allergies that when they breathe in any trace of peanuts, they start to react...

I was wondering if this might be the reason for the nut free zone, and i guess it is. Up till now i just assumed that the peanut allergy is only triggered upon ingestion.

With everyone else though, i'm sure they can take good enough care of themselves by checking the package for peanuts listed as an ingredient. The guys who set this nut free zone up are just using a lot of extra precaution, like you said, to guard against lawsuits.