Police warn parents of edibles resembling Halloween candies

In line with the most recent Halloween tradition, state police are warning parents in the United States to look out for edibles in their kids’ candy ahead of this weekend’s spooky celebration.   

According to Indiana State Police, authorities seized edibles in packaging virtually identical to the popular Starbrust and Skittles candies just last weekend. 

“Parents, here is an example of what to look for in your child’s Halloween candy this year. These were seized just this past weekend by one of our Troopers from the Lowell post. While they are packaged and marketed to look like candy, they are not. You have to look closely to see the ‘Medicated’ wording. Please thoroughly check all candy and don’t assume it’s ‘OK’ just because it looks ‘OK,’” Indian State Police shared on Facebook along with photos of the seized marijuana-unfused treats. 

Last year, police departments in Pennsylvania and North Carolina issued similar warnings, which included advice to parents to discard all home-made candies children might receive during trick-or-treating. 

Although skeptics frequently point out that nobody would willingly give away free marijuana to kids, particularly edibles which can be quite expensive, Yahoo News writes that children are known to ingest edibles sometimes. In fact, poison control centers in California received over 250 calls in 2017 regarding children accidentally ingesting edibles. 

In any case, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines on how to safely go trick-or-treating this year amid rising coronavirus infection numbers across the country. Parents and children should follow the standard three rules: wear a mask, socially distance and wash your hands. 

However, regarding the use of masks specifically, the CDC warned that “a costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask. Wearing a costume mask over a cloth mask can make breathing more difficult, and masks should not be worn by children under the age of 2, or by anyone who has trouble breathing.”

In general, the CDC recommends lower-risk ways of celebrating Halloween this year, including pumpkin-carving, Halloween movie nights, or open-air costume parades where people will be able to maintain a distance of more than six feet apart in order to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.