"Dr. Kirk and Dr. Bradford both made compelling arguments," says LaSalle Mayor Ken Antaya. "And it really got down to the legal opinion."
Windsor-Essex County Health Unit CEO Dr. Gary Kirk thinks town facilities should be stocked with epi-pens in the event someone has a severe allergic reaction. The Rotary Club of LaSalle-Centennial is offering the epi-pens for free.
Dr. Paul Bradford from the Ouellette Campus of the Windsor Regional Hospital believes the risk is too great the epi-pen, which has a life-time of just 18 months, will be expired or be applied incorrectly.
Ultimately, councillors decided the legal risks and the cost of training some 300 staff members was too great.
"Other than having a four-hour course, are they really trained to identify, diagnose and apply?" says Antaya.
Antaya says it's doubtful the epi-pens are even needed since most people with severe allergies already carry one.
"In the past five years, there's been 18 occurrences in the municipality, six of which required treatment of Benedryl," he says. "It's very uncommon."
