My kid just had the worst reaction to these things... while I was driving so while he’s in the back freaking out I’m driving down a interstate in rush hour traffic trying to concentrate on driving.... horrible...

I received a phone call from my daughters school yesterday that she was having an allergic reaction and had severe redness, swelling of face and lips, trouble breathing, burning of throat, and numbness in her lips. There were two children yesterday, both using Smencils they had purchased at the school "Jingle Bell" store this holiday season. I immediatly went to the school and called our physician. They said to watch her closely, give her Benadryl, and if she experienced any trouble swallowing or felt her throat was closing to get her to the ER immediately. I gave her another Benadryl a couple of hours later.
Her symptoms and numb lip continued through the night and she is now nausea's and I have been asked to come get her from school. The other child was a bit worse than my daughter.

I am a para-pro in an elementary school. Our school has in just the pastfew days started selling smancils and since the kids have had them in our classroom, I have been sneezing, my eyes have been itching, my head feels like it is swimming constantly and I am congested until about an hour after I leave school. I am trying to find out what it is about these pencils that I could be this sensitive to them.

Our school started selling the smencils a month ago and while the children love them the teachers aren't as smitten. They seem to be a distraction in the classroom. Haven't heard any complaints about the smell being too overwhelming or triggering a reaction as yet.

We get a sample of these pencils every school year. The fruity smell can be a tad overwhelming when first opening the tube they come in IF you put your nose right up to it or the pencil. But as a person with fragrance/odor sensitivites, I would be afraid it could be a trigger. With me, it's mostly spicy colognes and pefumes, especially the cheap knock offs. I do know some folks who can be put into distress by strong smells of any variety. Perhaps a little add-on stating that "like any fragrance, the smencils may trigger an allergic reaction for those with fragrance/odor sensitivities" could be included in any info that goes home to parents.

We had our district wide PTO meeting this A.M. One school is selling smencils as a substitute for a bake sale. Funds go to needy families near the holidays. Someone asked is these can affect children with allergies? I visited the web site, so, I know they are pencilsmade from recycled paper, with an added scent, such as strwberry, or orange, etc. Just curious if anyone out there has experience with these products. Thanks!!