It's amazing to me how people will embrace and retell myths as facts.
One of the most enduring urban legends this time of year is the myth of Halloween candy tampering. Every year, stories of booby-trapped bowls and poisoned sweets make their rounds, but is there any truth to these stories?
According to fact-checking websites, there has never been a verified incident where poisoned Halloween candy was handed out at random in an attempt to harm children. However, there have been a few times where people hid pins, needles and other sharp objects in treats, usually as a prank. None of those incidents resulted in serious bodily harm.
Despite the lack of substance behind these claims, one might be curious about the origins of these legends, as well as how they have survived in the era of diligent fact-checking. Here are some contributing factors.
Real-life Halloween poisonings
While there has never been a genuine attempt at a random Halloween poisoning, there have been several isolated incidents of children being harmed on or around Halloween. All of these cases, including the few that involved poisoned candy, were instigated by the children’s caretakers instead of neighbors or strangers.
The most famous and often-cited example of death-by-poisoned-candy is the 1974 death of Timothy O’Bryan. The eight-year-old died after eating a Pixy Stix that was later found to be laced with cyanide. Investigations into the boy’s death concluded that he had actually been poisoned by his own father, who had taken out a substantial insurance policy on him prior to his death.
O’Bryan’s father, dubbed the “Candy Man” by local press, was sentenced to death for the murder the next year.
Additionally, several deaths that occurred around Halloween were initially attributed to Halloween candy, but these allegations were later debunked.
Other well-publicized poisonings
Although they did not occur directly on Halloween, a number of well-publicized incidents involving poisoning or suspected poisoning has played a role in further strengthening of the public's distrust.
In 1982, the U.S. was rocked after tampered bottles of Tylenol led to the deaths of seven people in Chicago. Nobody was ever charged or convicted for the murders, and to add fuel to the fire, the incident sparked copycat murders throughout the 1980s and the 1990s. It also led to a brief downturn in Halloween candy sales in 1982.
In 1988, the New York Times reported that a New Jersey state lab had found traces of strychnine in a batch of Sunkist fruit snacks. After retesting by the Food and Drug Administration, it was discovered the white powder coating was actually cornstarch. The Times had to recant the story, but the damage was already done: the producer had already destroyed almost 10,000 batches of the candy and public perception of the brand had been impacted negatively.
Sharp object sabotage
While random poisonings live in the realm of myth and legend, there have been several documented cases of trick-or-treaters finding sharp objects in their late-night loot. None of these incidents resulted in death or serious injury, and all were some form of pranking instead of actual malicious intent.
Few of these incidents resulted in an arrest or conviction. In 2000, a Minneapolis man was arrested and charged with one count of adulterating a substance with intent to cause death, harm or illness after he inserted needles in Snickers bars and handed them out to neighborhood children. Only one child ended up getting pricked by a tampered candy, which did not necessitate medical attention.
Drugs
Parents’ fears have been reignited this Halloween season after a series of government press releases revealed the existence of drugs disguised as candy.
In August, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a press release about “rainbow fentanyl,” brightly-colored pills of the drug that could be a new strategy to appeal to children and young adults. Then, earlier this month, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department seized a large shipment of the drug, which had been hidden in candy boxes.
In 2021, attorneys general across the country warned parents to be vigilant about cannabis edibles ending up in Halloween candy. Many cannabis companies parody popular brands in their packaging, such as Sour Patch Kids and Oreos, which could lead to accidental consumption by unwitting children.
Although these headlines have caught the public’s attention, experts say it is unlikely drugs will find their way into children’s hands. There is no evidence dealers are sneaking drugs into Halloween candy, and disguising illegal narcotics as candy is not a new smuggling tactic. There have been a few cases where children were poisoned by cannabis edibles, but all of them were accidents rather than the work of a malicious neighbor or stranger.
https://www.utdailybeacon.com/arts_...cle_4c955854-555f-11ed-99f5-eb50666343c3.html
The legend of Halloween candy tampering
- Aurora Silavong, Staff Writer
- Oct 26, 2022 Updated Oct 31, 2022
One of the most enduring urban legends this time of year is the myth of Halloween candy tampering. Every year, stories of booby-trapped bowls and poisoned sweets make their rounds, but is there any truth to these stories?
According to fact-checking websites, there has never been a verified incident where poisoned Halloween candy was handed out at random in an attempt to harm children. However, there have been a few times where people hid pins, needles and other sharp objects in treats, usually as a prank. None of those incidents resulted in serious bodily harm.
Despite the lack of substance behind these claims, one might be curious about the origins of these legends, as well as how they have survived in the era of diligent fact-checking. Here are some contributing factors.
Real-life Halloween poisonings
While there has never been a genuine attempt at a random Halloween poisoning, there have been several isolated incidents of children being harmed on or around Halloween. All of these cases, including the few that involved poisoned candy, were instigated by the children’s caretakers instead of neighbors or strangers.
The most famous and often-cited example of death-by-poisoned-candy is the 1974 death of Timothy O’Bryan. The eight-year-old died after eating a Pixy Stix that was later found to be laced with cyanide. Investigations into the boy’s death concluded that he had actually been poisoned by his own father, who had taken out a substantial insurance policy on him prior to his death.
O’Bryan’s father, dubbed the “Candy Man” by local press, was sentenced to death for the murder the next year.
Additionally, several deaths that occurred around Halloween were initially attributed to Halloween candy, but these allegations were later debunked.
Other well-publicized poisonings
Although they did not occur directly on Halloween, a number of well-publicized incidents involving poisoning or suspected poisoning has played a role in further strengthening of the public's distrust.
In 1982, the U.S. was rocked after tampered bottles of Tylenol led to the deaths of seven people in Chicago. Nobody was ever charged or convicted for the murders, and to add fuel to the fire, the incident sparked copycat murders throughout the 1980s and the 1990s. It also led to a brief downturn in Halloween candy sales in 1982.
In 1988, the New York Times reported that a New Jersey state lab had found traces of strychnine in a batch of Sunkist fruit snacks. After retesting by the Food and Drug Administration, it was discovered the white powder coating was actually cornstarch. The Times had to recant the story, but the damage was already done: the producer had already destroyed almost 10,000 batches of the candy and public perception of the brand had been impacted negatively.
Sharp object sabotage
While random poisonings live in the realm of myth and legend, there have been several documented cases of trick-or-treaters finding sharp objects in their late-night loot. None of these incidents resulted in death or serious injury, and all were some form of pranking instead of actual malicious intent.
Few of these incidents resulted in an arrest or conviction. In 2000, a Minneapolis man was arrested and charged with one count of adulterating a substance with intent to cause death, harm or illness after he inserted needles in Snickers bars and handed them out to neighborhood children. Only one child ended up getting pricked by a tampered candy, which did not necessitate medical attention.
Drugs
Parents’ fears have been reignited this Halloween season after a series of government press releases revealed the existence of drugs disguised as candy.
In August, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a press release about “rainbow fentanyl,” brightly-colored pills of the drug that could be a new strategy to appeal to children and young adults. Then, earlier this month, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department seized a large shipment of the drug, which had been hidden in candy boxes.
In 2021, attorneys general across the country warned parents to be vigilant about cannabis edibles ending up in Halloween candy. Many cannabis companies parody popular brands in their packaging, such as Sour Patch Kids and Oreos, which could lead to accidental consumption by unwitting children.
Although these headlines have caught the public’s attention, experts say it is unlikely drugs will find their way into children’s hands. There is no evidence dealers are sneaking drugs into Halloween candy, and disguising illegal narcotics as candy is not a new smuggling tactic. There have been a few cases where children were poisoned by cannabis edibles, but all of them were accidents rather than the work of a malicious neighbor or stranger.
https://www.utdailybeacon.com/arts_...cle_4c955854-555f-11ed-99f5-eb50666343c3.html
Thankful No Child was Hurt Severily...!!! 
