As students go back to school this year, they will be going back with one major change as far as their school's blood drive is concerned. Starting August 31, all high school students and anyone under age 19 must meet new weight and height requirements to donate blood.

High school students and individuals under age 19 must weight at least 110 pounds.  Males under 5 feet tall and females under 5 foot 6 inches, must meet a higher weight restriction based on their height. Visit this website for details on the new weight restrictions for donors age 18 and younger.

This precaution is being taken because young donors are more likely to experience a reaction after giving whole blood than older donors. This new policy is an effort to ensure that people who qualify for blood donation will only lose a relatively small amount of their total blood volume. The new height/weight criteria will apply to all high school students, regardless of their age, who present at high school blood drives, and all donors younger than 19 years of age that present at blood drives outside of the high school setting.

If you are 18 or younger and have donated in the past but do not meet the new requirements, we encourage you to continue donating when you do meet the new weight and height requirements or when you turn 19 years old. We appreciate your donations.

Photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/commitforlife/2865870043/