By blood banks reaching out to the younger generation thousands of lives are saved.
BY BLUE KAUFMAN
Entering the mini gym during a school blood drive, you see the crowds swarming around you. Music is playing and there is a line of waiting donors, arms at the ready. Although it may seem like chaos, a school is both a safe and sterile place to donate blood. Extensive planning and organization goes into these blood drives to ensure maximum precision and comfort.
The general medical community has determined, and history has proven, that it is safe to donate blood starting at the age of 16. All of the positives associated with it, including saving thousands of lives, are offset by the occasional minor complication. More importantly, there is no evidence to indicate that a school environment poses any additional risks to the donor. Donating blood at school is secure and without teenage donations blood banks cannot hope to meet the constant demand for blood in our own communities.
The American Medical Association has determined that the protocol used at school blood drives is identical to those used at blood centers. According to the American Red Cross that’s a law. The most qualified licensed nurses, phlebotomists, and staff with extensive experience are at high school blood drives. The survey portion is also identical to ones given at other blood centers or blood mobiles. Each question is asked the same and standard procedures are always adhered to. If students choose to lie, that is a matter of morals, not the responsibility of staff members.
School blood drives tend to be more crowded than other donation sites due to the fact that there are more willing donors at one location in schools. However that does not by any means translate into the donation process at schools being rushed. Regardless of the location, donors are treated the same and donations are taken at the same pace. Just because there is a line of people across the gym does not mean that the donation process is hurried. In fact, it’s the opposite. The reason for the extensive lines is because the staff doesn’t rush and takes their time with each individual. Senior Kaity Pratt donated blood at the last school blood drive at CCHS on January 11th. Toward the end of her donation she began to feel dizzy. Not only did the phlebotomists quickly come to her aid, but she also forced Pratt to stay seated and continue drinking and eating for 15 minutes before she could stand up. These professionals know better than anyone that safety is of the utmost importance. They wouldn’t hastily rush students out the door if they were feeling faint or light headed.
Due to recent national disasters, the world’s blood supply has plummeted to a record low. School blood drives have been picking the slack and now account for more than 15% of donated blood. If school blood drives were banned, 15% of the worlds already dwindling blood supply would disappear, resulting in serious turmoil for hospitals and medical centers everywhere. The American Red Cross and other blood centers are extremely grateful for the generosity extended by teen donors. Without them the blood centers would surely crumble, as well as the thousands of lives that depend on them.
The facts are clear, donating blood is one of the easiest ways to help change the world. Because school blood drives create no new risks, it’s important for students to continue as donors. Donating blood isn’t a process that comes straight out of a horror movie; it’s easy and will truly make you feel better about yourself. The immediate perks of donating blood are receiving free hot food and getting out of class; however the most important factor is the many lives you are saving.
Blood banks risk students health by hosting blood drives in the chaotic atmosphere of high schools.
BY JESSICA WEAVER
Students filling out blood drive questionnaires.
To replenish their supplies, blood banks have thought of every possible way to get people to donate. With bloodmobiles constantly parked outside of shopping centers and offering everything from free movie tickets to cash, blood banks sometimes seem like bloodsuckers. However, their most successful donation strategy has been targeting younger donors by going to high schools and holding blood drives. Retrieving more than 30,000 pints of blood from high schools a year, it is no wonder the Red Cross has continued to gear themselves towards this age group. Unfortunately, a crowded school gym might not be the safest environment for students to donate.
According to the American Medical Association, 16 to17 year olds are at a higher risk of complications during blood donations, such as excessive sweating, light-headedness, and fainting spells. By targeting this age group there is a higher risk of these incidents occurring, because blood drives held in a crowded gym are different than blood drives that take just a few donors at a time. Before you begin giving blood you are supposed to drink juice and eat a good snack in order to keep your energy up through the process. Although high schools give you the option to have some food and juice, they do not enforce it on every single donor like blood banks do. This derives not wanting students to waste too much class time. When students don’t receive the proper nutrients before they give blood, the chances of feeling ill afterwards are increased.
Before they donate blood, students must answer a survey in order to protect themselves as well as those who may receive the blood donated, but major complications can still occur. Teens new to giving blood are unaware of the seriousness of answering the questions honestly. They realize answering certain questions ‘yes’, such as “have you gotten your ears pierced in the last year?” could prevent them from donating blood, but they don’t understand the connection between their recent piercing and giving blood. Freshly open wounds, such as piercings, are prone to infection. Donated blood can transfer infectious bacteria as well as diseases to others. When students are not aware of facts like these, they may lie so that they can still give blood. Blood banks go question by question with each donor and explain their importance. But,when you’re in a school, with 40 kids lined up behind you, the process is rushed and the reasons behind the questions are not properly understood. Not fully understanding the questions and the importance of being truthful can have negative consequences.
Not only is the question portion of the blood drive rushed, but the actual process of giving blood is rushed as well. Overall, giving blood should take approximately an hour, but in a school environment with so many kids giving blood, things must be done more quickly in order to get through all the students. In an actual blood bank, after you’ve given blood they make you stay 10-15 minutes to make sure everything is okay. But in school blood drives, staff encourages students to leave as soon as they’re done. This could be dangerous because students could find themselves walking the hall feeling faint, light headed, and collapsing on the floor.
Although the concept of having blood drives in school seems like a good idea, the environment of a high school is just not the proper place for students to be donating blood. Donors should be prepared and properly informed about giving blood. They shouldn’t have to be rushed or given less attention because there is a huge line behind them. High school blood drives are simply too chaotic and can’t manage the process as well as blood drives done in a clinical environment.
