Is Halloween Candy Tampering a Myth?

Every year during Halloween, candy tampering becomes a topical issue. There are warnings of poison, drugs and sharp objects like razor blades and needles on or inside chocolate bars, candied apples and other treats, the ingestion of which could lead to bodily harm and even death. How concerned should parents be about candy tampering?

One of the earliest reported incidents of Halloween candy tampering occurred in 1964 when Helen Pfeil, a Long Island, NY housewife who was tired of older trick-or-treaters asking for free candy, handed out packages of inedible treats to teenagers that included dog biscuits, steel-wool pads and arsenic-laced ant-poison buttons as a joke. The packages were clearly marked "poison," and the woman informed recipients that it was a joke as a precaution. No one was harmed, but she was charged in the court of law for endangering children and received a suspended sentence.

What other acts of candy tampering have been reported? How concerned should parents be? Have there been any documented incidents of random poisonings or death by tampered candy?

Regardless of the infrequency of candy tampering, parents should still be cautious when allowing kids to take candy from strangers.

Check out the slideshow above to discover the truth about candy tampering on Halloween and whether you should think twice about your trick-or-treating loot.

We are showing you how to eat, drink and be scary this Halloween season.
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