Actually, people who are highly allergic to peanuts can have bad reactions just SMELLING peanuts! Supposedly, the lining of their noses and throats swells so badly it blocks their ability to breathe. These folks are (partly) the reason peanuts aren't served on airlines anymore, as the closed cabins don't allow fresh air to circulate. And peanut-allergic kids eat their lunches in a completely separate area of the cafeteria at most schools, I've heard.... It's weird how this allergy seemed to just show up in the last 10-15 years or so--I never knew anyone with it when I was in school.