To worry about sweets from trick or treating…

[Backtoblack87]

Just had a horrible thought… when we go trick or treating, what if we are given dodgy sweets? I mean I know it isn’t likely but unless you know everyone you go to, how can you guarantee they aren’t giving your kid drugs?! Does this worry anyone else?!

Sources? This isn’t a thesis haha! Other people have already posted links throughout the thread. Otherwise just google? There are hundreds of articles from various news outlets.

For everyone saying you're paranoid, you're not. BUT it's highly unlikely your kids will knock on to that random delusional mental who's injecting crack in to haribos. I live in a fairly rough area but luckily we all know each other so we know who to go to and who to avoid. Try to work out who's got kids themselves and go to them. Or stay home and make some games up instead. Amazon do them for a couple quid and let them win their own prizes.
P.s. it's not the dealers that would do it 🙄 they aint wasting their money, it's the absolute mentals of this world.

That would be trick AND treat.

Who told you that?

Even the cozily middle class Acid Lab ( Seymour Road Hampton Wick, Kingston Upon Thames ) wouldn’t have given it away for free!

The house still stands, but a carpet in the house famously caused policemen to trip out.

operationjulie.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/23-seymour-road-hampton-wick-london-henry-todd-brian-cuthbertson-and-andy-munro/

No they haven't because no there aren't beyond sensationalist articles telling parents to "be vigilant" with no actual, material evidence. Not of actual instances beyond the one intentional poisoning by a parent (so not at all relevant) on which all the urban legends are based. Making stuff up and spreading misinformation is harmful, please please stop doing it. There are enough real things to worry about we really don't need to make up more.

You've watched too much American true crime

Please show some articles that have this as a fact and not rumor.

Since the time of the dude with the Pixie Stick cyanide, rumors have abounded but the number of actual incidents, at least here in the USA are quite low. And, like the cyanide dud, some have been done by parents for various reasons.

Check their treats and toss any you think may be off or anything not wrapped. In the US, there are police depts. who will xray the candy for parents POM, though nothing has ever been found in any area by me

I am not spreading harmful misinformation, you ignorant person.

These are just the first couple of articles of actual incidents that did happen, not sensationalist rumours to add a touch of excitement to Halloween or cause your kids mental health to deteriorate.

Nobody is telling you to be anxious as thankfully there are more good than bad people in the world, but don’t be so naive or ignorant to insist things like this never happen, and at least check what your kids are going to eat.

US: razor found in candy: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/multiple-razor-blades-found-hidden-childrens-halloween-candy/story?id=92584731

UK: man accidentally gives kids cocaine instead of pick and mix: https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2012/nov/19/police-children-cocaine-mistake

Melbourne: 3 year old girl’s Halloween pick and pix “accidentally” had prescription medication in: https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/bacchus-marsh-child-hospitalised-after-ingesting-unexpected-object-while-out-trick-or-treating/news-story/f30013300a87cb5ec46641d2fb6dee5c?amp

Tyneside 2018: 2 and 5 year old girls given a bag of ecstasy: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/halloween-sweets-ecstasy-mdma-pills-drugs-trick-treat-police-tyneside-northumbria-a8612291.html

🤣🤣🤣

@Pureasthedrivensnowww this is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on mumsnet! I hope it’s true 😂😂😂

It's an oldie but a goodie, I am going to revive that!

Brilliant 🤣🤣

From The Irish News:

"A practice called 'guising' was in full swing in Scotland and Ireland. Short for 'disguising', children would go out from door to door dressed in costume and rather than pledging to pray, they would tell a joke, sing a song or perform another sort of "trick" in exchange for food or money."

The trick is from the child, the treat is what they receive (this transaction is the origin of where the phrase now commonly used comes from)

Should add, I went around the houses at Halloween in the 1980s before the phrase "trick or treat" started to be used here in Ireland. We used various interjections at the door. Per the same Irish News source in 2014:

"The expression trick or treat has only been used at front doors for the last 10 to 15 years. Before that "Help the Halloween Party" seems to have been the most popular phrase to holler."

Only accept sweets in sealed bags and nothing homemade and you'll be fine.

I wouldn't give this a further thought.

So we should all be terrified about trick or treating based on a case from 1977?

I joke that mini Cheddars and Twiglets have heroin in them
Can’t stop eating the salty blighters once a packet is opened.

Millions of children do it in the USA & Canada every year. 90% of the stories turn out to be urban legends and false rumours.

The cannabis edibles in packaging that mimics brand name sweets are real and children have mistakenly eaten them in the USA (they're legally sold in some states). There's a pretty active debate about them and some companies are cracking down on the trademark violations. But I can't imagine people would give them away on purpose. They're expensive.

they've been spreading this rumour for about forever.
the only cases of children being given contaminated sweets at halloween were traced back to family members (think there was a case in America where a little girl died. forget the details, but it was sherbet sticks, and it was either the uncle or the dad that did it)
as for things like Cannabis edibles.

WHY?

it's not my thing, but
A. they're expensive. if people have them, they're not sharing.
B. what would giving them out acheive? nobody is going to think, oh, the sweets I got from THAT house made me have interesting feelings, so I'm heading round there with my pocket money for more.

is your child named Superhans?

Giving free drugs to kids in this economy? Hahaha

The decorations thing is not compulsory (unless that's a new thing).

The lights being on at the door is the more general sign for kids that they are welcome. Lights out means no-one is handing out anything.

In the century plus that this has been a Scottish/Irish custom it was the kids carrying the lanterns (initially made out of turnip, more recently pumpkin) to the door of homeowners.

This describing guisers in Scotland from 1895:

"I had mind it was Halloween . . . the wee callans (boys) were at it already, rinning aboot wi’ their fause-faces (false faces) on and their bits o’ turnip lanthrons (lanterns) in their haun (hand)."

it's the one day of the year when I find children from outside of my family cute. I love giving them lots of treats and a bit of a fun scare too.
years back, when the village we lived in really went for it, I'd even send the parents away with cups of my spicy pumpkin soup, especially in bad weather. and made up goodie bags for the smalls. and got dog treats in for the dogs. everyone got treats.

I think there's only been one case I've ever heard of from a legitimate source, and that was, my memory is sketchy , traced back to either the father or the uncle. it was the sherbet sticks. never heard of another incident, and that one was a LONG time ago.

if we go elsewhere, we don't have decorations out (we usually go to my mums for the evening) but we always get sweets in, and considering all year round I have my Neighbourhood Witch sticker in the front window, and when they do catch us before we leave, we're both in full costume, we DO get them. so we get sweets in for the ones that get us before we go. and I have loads of Halloween signs in my hallway that live there all year round, so I think they know that we are definitely trick or treater friendly.

but, for the most part, they only tend to go to decorated houses. the locals just know, we're in the Halloween spirit all year round, and if they show up before we leave to celebrate with family, there WILL be a friendly reception and treats