When I was a child, we were always hearing about horrible thing that happened to kids while trick or treating on Halloween. There were rumors of kids eating candy, only to find it laced with razorblades. There was gum adulterated with LSD and candy bars injected with Heroin. Horror stories were commonplace but come to think of it the information was always secondhand, heard from friends of friends. There was never first-person confirmation. From USA Today:
As Halloween approaches, tips often circulate advising parents to check their children’s Halloween candy, not for a tasty caramel center, but for potentially unsafe objects — like razor blades.
These stories have mostly been dismissed as urban legends. Yet, a handful of cases made the danger seem more widespread than it is. More from USA Today:
Fear-mongering about dangerous items, like razor blades and poison, in Halloween candy dates back to the 1960s.In October 1964, a New York woman was arrested for handing out ant poison and dog treats to trick-or-treaters, according to the History Channel. Fortunately, no children were poisoned.…[I]n October 1974, when a Texas man named Ronald O’Bryan handed out “cyanide-laced pixie sticks” to five trick-or-treaters, including his own son, according to the History Channel. Only O’Bryan’s son ate the candy and he died soon after.
O’Bryan had taken out insurance policies on his children, so it was no random act. Sociology professor, Joel Best, has studied the phenomenon more than anyone. Over a 50-year period there have been around 85 reported cases of Halloween sadism, according to his website. Yet, some misinformation still persists. The chances of dangerous items in candy are extremely low. In theory only one or two cases across the entire United States each Halloween. The real danger for kids on Halloween is being struck by a car.
On average, children are more than twice as likely to get hit by a car while trick-or-treating than any other day, Safe Kids Worldwide, an international nonprofit dedicated to child safety, reports.
Also, parents of kids with food allergies should be mindful of food allergies.
The groups Safe Kids Worldwide provides the following tips on keeping kids safe on Halloween:
- Carry glow sticks or flashlights; use reflective tape/stickers on costumes and bags; and wear light colors to help children be seen by drivers.
- Join children under the age of 12 for trick-or-treating.
- Remind children to cross streets at corners and crosswalks.
- If driving on Halloween night, turn on car headlights early in the day to spot kids farther away and slow down in neighborhoods.
The nonprofit also advised parents to think about what types of face coverings their children are wearing, as masks can obstruct a child’s vision while walking.
Drivers should keep in mind that kids hopped up on goofballs, experiencing a sugar high, can act in unexpected ways. Be safe out there and keep your cats inside. Another urban legend is that Satan worshipers catnap felines for their nefarious pageants.