Halloween is right around the corner, and while this holiday is full of fun and carefree-spirited behavior, it also comes with a few responsibilities for parents. As your child trick or treats around neighborhoods, be sure to take into consideration the dangers of the road and check your child's candy before consumption.
There have always been candy warnings as Halloween approaches. Decades ago, warnings were about simple expired chocolate bars or candy that may have been contaminated. As the years progress, the dangers become significantly higher.
As ABC 7 News reported last week, candy seized from a bust in Conroe, Texas, yielded loads of gummy worms, gummy bears and peach rings laced with marijuana. As a result, authorities issued a nationwide warning after they realized that these laced candies were being shipped into Montgomery County, Texas and that there could be a possibility that they could exist elsewhere in the country.
Last year a woman found a razor in her child's Halloween yield, and police issued several warnings regarding candy with dangerous items inside. Even worse, edibles that look like tart candy tablets have also been confiscated and later identified to be serious narcotic drugs.
The dangers of the road are also a concern, children and their parents have been hit by cars or assaulted in some areas.
The warnings are serious, but that doesn't mean you can't do your part to protect yourself and your children from these threats. It just takes a little bit of extra time and a vigilant eye to do so. The following actions to help keep your family safe.
Monitor Candy Consumption
Before your child consumes any candy, you should check their yield for specific things. Ensure that all chocolate wrapped in individual wrappers is brought to you before eating so that you can check it, as many of these Halloween chocolate bars are often expired. You can tell if chocolate is not safe to eat if it has an ashy, white powdery coating.
As with the report of gummies laced with marijuana, ensure that any gummy candy your child receives is packed in the manufacturer's official packaging. Do not accept any loose candies or throw them out if they have infiltrated your child's Halloween basket. Do not allow your child to eat any candy that was given to them in a ziplock bag, baggy, or other unofficial packaging.
Ensuring that candy is in its official packaging not only lessens the risk of laced candy, but it can also help you keep track of tainted candy via a lot number that can be traced back to the manufacturer’s product line. In the event that a mass-produced candy has been tainted, contaminated or tampered with, you can call the manufacturer and offer a lot number. In many cases, parents who do this alert the manufacturer who can then place a recall on particular batches that have received multiple complaints, elevating community awareness and safety.
Safety in the Streets
Ensure that you and your child are not put in harm's way while trick-or-treating by finding safe places to do so. Find well lit areas and complexes with a family-oriented atmosphere to do your trick or treating in. You can also visit the stores downtown that will be participating in handing out candy.
Avoid treating in dark areas and dead end streets, and try not to go out alone. It's always best to trick or treat in groups, and if your child will be trick or treating with their friends, make sure that there is a responsible adult or older teenager accompany their group.
While outside, make sure that you have reflective gear on yourself and your child at all times. At night, drivers may not be able to differentiate a dark costume from the backdrop of the landscape. To avoid accidents, purchase reflective bands or pulsating light clip-ons. Alternately, you can find cheap handheld stick lanterns at stores like Dollar Tree.
A little bit of extra vigilance will go a long way. As long as you follow your instincts and go to trusted sources, you'll be sure to have a memorable Halloween this year.
