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TSA screeners confiscate pregnant woman’s insulin

C.J. Ciaramella Contributor
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Transportation Security Administration screeners confiscated a pregnant woman’s insulin and ice packs Thursday afternoon at Denver International Airport.

The woman, who did not give her name for fear of retaliation, was traveling alone to a baby shower in Phoenix. She said a TSA screener removed her insulin and ice packs from a lunchbox she was carrying.

“[The screener was] like well, you’re a risk […] This is a risk. I can’t tell you why again. But this is at risk for explosives,” the woman told a local Denver television station.

She said she was never told her insulin was taken.

Her husband, Aaron Nieman, said, “It made me feel upset and made me feel somewhat helpless.”

The woman had to arrange for more insulin to be delivered to her in Phoenix. However, she was able to sneak half a vial through security. (RELATED: I spy with my little eye: TSA rolling out new ‘behavior detection officers’)

“It was at the bottom of my lunch box, because they didn’t search it all the way through,” she said. “They just took out every thing on top.”

TSA offered this prepared statement to the television station:

“TSA’s mission is to safely, efficiently and respectfully screen nearly 2 million passengers each day at airports nationwide.

“We are sensitive to the concerns of passengers who were not satisfied with their screening experience and we invite those individuals to provide feedback to TSA through a variety of channels. We work to balance those concerns with the very real threat that our adversaries will attempt to use explosives to carry out attacks on planes.

“It is the traveler’s responsibility to have proper government issued identification and a boarding pass; to cooperate with applicable screening procedures and instructions and to communicate their disability or health related needs.

“Liquid medications should be labeled, and those in quantities larger than 3.4 ounces (100ml) each need to be separated from other carry-on items and declared to the security officer as medically necessary. A declaration can be made verbally, in writing, or by a person’s companion, caregiver, interpreter, or family member. Liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces will require additional screening.”