If your children are like mine, they already have their costumes (often being broken in) and their pre-arranged candy swapping plans all mapped out with their siblings. You, as the concerned parent, have been reminding them how to trick or treat safely; look both ways before crossing the street, stay out of weird alleys and unlit porches, don't eat candy before it is properly X-rayed and examined by both Mom and Dad, once they get back.
Dear Parents, you have been duped. I was also indoctrinated into the razors and dope on candy thing. My mother, who worked at a hospital, knew horror stories that would scare even today's DishNetwork hardened children. She threatened to take our entire stash of candy, if she so much as heard a crinkle of wrapper from the backseat of the car. You see, we lived in the country and walking to the neighbor's house was not only unheard of, it was downright stupid; even if we weren't wearing those damn masks that inhibited both eyesight and breathing ability. But I digress...
According to Snopes, a pretty darn reliable soother of nerves and naysayer of inbox gossip, there has never been any verifiable reports of actual persons sprinkling candy with drugs/poisons, inserting sharp objects or whatever else claims have been passed around over the years.
After much digging, Snopes was able to find a few cases that sort of fit the profile, but only in that some deviant member of society did something to some child's candy - but always in a direct and knowing way. Either they knew the child (shiver) or the target was a specific child or children. Not that it is any less awful, I only mention this to relieve those parents that look past the sugar rush, and only imagine the wee little wrappings being removed, and candy desecrated, before ending up in their child's pumpkin head candy bucket.
I do admit to not allowing my kids to eat candy that has torn wrappers, or looks nasty and not fresh, but that is my aversion to other people's germs.
This is a second version of an earlier post. I am not sure how that one came up blank. Spooky :-O
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October 20, 2011
I NEVER went trick or treating as a kid because my mother was a nurse and she told us the same thing. Damn you, Internet, for being 20 years too late!