Trick or Treating: a Halloween tradition staple. Children, teenagers, and parents go on the streets every year with the question that is so widely known —“Trick or Treat?” What many people don’t realize is that the common practice is becoming more and more dangerous every year.
According to Mount St Joseph University, “violent crimes increase by as much as 50% on Halloween, which is two times the daily average.”
From razor blades hidden in candy to missing kids, the dangers are endless.
In 2022, NBC News reported that the state of Oregon had three different reports of razor blades found in candy that police had to investigate. The razor blades appeared to be slipped into the candy through a small slit in the wrapping.
Police Captain Chris Harrison was the senior detective on the cases and revealed the razors were almost an inch long and similar to a blade found in a manual pencil sharpener. With such a small piece of metal becoming such a danger, Harrison urged parents to “closely look over their children’s Halloween candy and inspect pieces in good lighting.”
Mother and science teacher Dana Brice, says a routine practice for her now is checking her children’s candy before letting them eat any. Her rule of thumb is “only eat store bought treats where the packaging is completely closed and sealed. Anything that is opened or home made, we make sure to throw away.”
Not only can a sweet treat received on Halloween night be worrisome but so can just walking around. Kids can easily go missing with the dark night and mixture of confusion while the streets are flooded with fellow trick or treaters.
In an article found on “The Telegraph,” a 12-year-old girl went missing in 2021 on Halloween night from the streets of her local hometown in Georgia. The young girl was never confirmed to be found.
With dangers around every corner, what can parents and children do to prevent any accidents and enjoy their Halloween night?
Brice shares that to keep her little ones safe, she only takes them trick or treating in their neighborhood. Where she feels “comfortable and safe knowing who her neighbors are.”
John Degidio is one of our math teachers and even though his children are all grown, he still worries about the students he teaches.
Degidio shares, “The biggest change has been the fact that you can’t allow your children to go out by themselves. When I was a kid, my parents were never out there with us.”
Even though dangers are around every corner, the tradition of trick or treating will continue to bring happy kids to the streets each year. Just remember to be safe and have a Happy Halloween!
Picture credits: Google
