Halloween Candy, Safety and Kids

Halloween Candy Safety

Everyone has heard at least one story about poison candy, these stories are mostly untrue. Today’s media gives the impression that the world is a crazy, threatening place for children at every turn. Many adults will recall that during the 1980s, wide-spread myths of troubled people using poison and razor blades in Halloween candy were common. Nearly all these reports were false. Yet, no amount of debunking eliminates possibility. No matter how rare, it can happen. Safety remains paramount on Halloween – just as it is every day, especially for kids who plan on trick-or-treating.

Although receiving candy that has been tampered with is unlikely, parents should always check candy before eating. Want to have a great Halloween while keeping our children safe and healthy? Check out these Halloween safety tips to ensure a fun holiday for your family.

Halloween Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips:

Teach your child to never eat food collected while trick-or-treating. If your child is under twelve, supervise the trick-or-treating activity. Wait until children are home to sort and check Halloween treats. To help resist temptation, especially for small children, take treats from home for snacking while trick-or-treating. Lay out the candy once you get home to inspect in good lighting.

Halloween Candy Safety Tips:

Though tampering is rare, an adult should closely examine all treats and throw away candy with:

Discolored wrappers
Torn wrappers
Soiled wrappers
Loose wrappers
Tiny pinholes in wrappers

Discard homemade items and baked goods (unless you personally know who gave them to your child).

Check closely for food allergies and discard candy if you don’t know what it contains.

Parents of young children should remove all choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies and small toys. Finally, while sharing is encouraged, make sure items that can cause choking (such as hard candies), are given only to children of an appropriate age.