One back to school supply you might not expect; an epipen.

A growing number of kids suffer from potentially fatal food or insect allergies and whether a school has an epipen on hand could be the difference between life and death.

Lunch can be tricky for 6-year old Adam Lee. Peanuts are still a big worry for Adam's mom Karen.

"He's had severe food allergy since he was a baby. They sent us for allergy testing when he was 13 months old and it came up with peanut allergy and egg allergy," says Lee. "Even last year, he was half day kindergarten, so we didn't have to worry about lunch at school. He ate lunch at home."

About 150 people die every year from an allergic reaction to food. Adam's not alone; more kids now than ever have food allergies to monitor.

Just like Adam, other kids carry epipens with a life saving dose of epinephrine wherever they go.

Dr. DJ Scherzer at Nationwide Children's Hospital sees kids with dangerous food allergies in the ER, and has set out to make sure more people, especially school nurses and teachers, know how to use epipens.

"This just gives you a little extra dose, quickly and helps reverse the processes that get set in motion when your immune system overreacts to an allergen," says Dr. Scherzer.

(Information coutesy NBC News)