Local experts give tips on how to keep children safe this Halloween
Tricks or Treats?
DELMARVA – “Trick or Treat!” That’s what kids will be chanting for the next few days, as they go door to door asking strangers for candy. As a parent, the biggest concern is- How many treats are in fact, tricks?
From goblins to ghouls Halloween is a night that’s supposed to insight fright, but as a parent, you want your kids to have a treat not be tricked. Chris Martinez is the Protection Services Manager at TidalHealth Nanticoke. He says nothing can be scarier on Halloween, than something happening to your child.
Cars & Candy
Martinez says parents need to be aware of many things on this creepy night. “It’s a way for kids to come and get candy and goodies and things like that without having to worry about being in a dark area or unsupervised.”
“There are people in vehicles who just aren’t paying attention, and that’s also a danger as well at least in this environment there won’t be any vehicles moving through our trunk or treat area, it’s going to be all on foot.” He continues, “The biggest one of course is the peanut allergens; you’ve got Snickers and Almond Joys. So, it’s important for parents to pay attention to what their kids are getting.”
Candy or Cannabis?
Substance Prevention Coordinator for Wicomico County Health Department Cynthia Shifler says drugs are more of a concern than people realize, and many may not be able to tell the difference between a snack and a spoof. She says there is no way can know how much marijuana an item contains.
“There’s a lot of things people can do to candy, and there’s a lot of candy that looks like drugs and vice versa… If it’s something that has marijuana in it, they should be able to smell that… People think we’re still talking about the marijuana of the 1970’s. The Tetrahedra cannabinol is a lot higher now, and a lot of things, especially in edibles, they can’t figure out the exact amount of THC that’s in that candy.”
Caution with Children
They both said growing up, apples had razors, and kids were kidnapped, and times haven’t changed so much. Martinez says parents need to bring back some of their old school traditions. “When I was Trick-or-treating, we didn’t touch that candy until we got home, and again, my mother went through it all very thoroughly, and I think it’s very important that that happens. Again, with the times that we live in, we have to be extra careful.”
The Wicomico County Health Department says some of those spoofs include Pop Tarts which can be labeled as “Pot Tarts” which are in fact edibles. They say this is a concern for both elders and children, and that caretakers should stay vigilant.
TidalHealth will host their own Trunk or Treat October 29th in Seaford from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and officials say there won’t be any cars, cannabis, or criminal activity.
