Who can you trust?
No one. It was never a good idea to leave the well-being of your children to the mercy of strangers. But the dangers have increased exponentially since Nine-Eleven. That innocent-looking apartment or trailer home may not contain a nest of sleeper-cell terrorists, but it may contain some sicko looking to pull a prank on you or your kids.
Should you have your kid's candy scanned or x-rayed?
Definitely. Many communities offer a free CAT scan of your kiddie's Halloween stash. A dangerous syringe was once concealed in a Twinkie.
For example, Patient ONE Medical Center in Charleston, SC will be offering free candy X-ray imaging to all trick-or-treaters this Halloween season. Experts say an adult should inspect the candy or goodies first. Any questionable items should be discarded immediately. The rest should then be examined at your hospital or local medical center that is offering this service for residents.
While many of the Halloween candy tampering stories are urban legend, there are enough true ones to keep you on guard.
Halloween Candy Safety Tips Summary: If anything tastes "funny" spit it out and save it for any evidence that may be needed. Limit your trick-or treating to the early hours. Do not eat any candy or treats until it's been thoroughly examined. Do not eat anything that has loose or open wrappers. Do not eat anything that has not been store wrapped. Take advantage of the hospitals offering their x-ray machines for detecting foreign objects.