Halloween candy.....

[DizBelle]

On the radio yesterday, they mentioned a survey from the UK where 54% of parents do not let their children go trick-or-treating. They asked for people to call in and tell them if they let their children go trick-or-treating.

One lady called in and said that she lets her children go trick-or-treating but when they come home, she takes the candy they collected and gives them candy that she bought. She then gives the candy they collected to the trick-or-treaters that come to her house. So, she doesn't feel comfortable letting HER children eat candy gotten from strangers but she's ok with giving it to all the childeren that come to her house.

She defends this by saying that it is the parent's responsibility to ensure the safety of their children and not hers. I'm thinking that other parents might be ensuring their children's safety by only letting them trick-or-treat at houses that they know - like this lady's house. They know her and thought they could trust her to give out candy that hadn't been messed with.

What an idiot and how selfish and inconsiderate. As long as it isn't HER children eating the poisoned candy, all is good. Doesn't anybody care about anybody but themselves anymore?

Chances are that the candy collected is not tainted but that isn't the point. The point is that this lady has no idea what she is giving to unsuspecting children and she doesn't care. Sad, sad, sad...

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

No one is "messing" with Halloween candy. I read somewhere that there had only been 2 reported cases of "poisoned" Halloween candy in the United States, and on both accounts, it was done by the child's own family. I don't really think there's any need to worry.

 

[allison443]

When my kids come home after trick or treating, if we are running out of candy to distribute, I will give out the stuff they don't like or can't eat due to braces. Not trying to poison anyone, though!

I don't get the reasoning of the lady in the article-if she really thinks the candy is unsafe she shouldn't be giving it out

 

[robb01]

They use the same scare tactics every year. We only let the kids go in our neighborhood and check the candy, its never been a problem.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/halloween.asp

Which can be compared with:

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/needles.asp

 

[DizBelle]

No one is "messing" with Halloween candy. I read somewhere that there had only been 2 reported cases of "poisoned" Halloween candy in the United States, and on both accounts, it was done by the child's own family. I don't really think there's any need to worry.

I already said that the chances are that the candy is fine. But that isn't the point. She won't let her children eat it but she's fine with giving it to other children. Obviously she believes that there *might* be something wrong with it (or she would have let her children keep it) and she doesn't have a problem giving candy that she thinks might be dangerous to other children. She's unsure enough to not let her children have it. As long as it isn't HER children eating the potentially unsafe candy...

She perceives that there might be a danger and she is shielding HER children from that danger but knowingly passing it on to other children. She could just throw all of the candy away to keep all of the kids (hers and others) from danger. But as long as her kids are safe from danger, the rest of the kids don't matter.

 

[eeyoremum]

This was a UK study right? Halloween is celebrated differently in the UK not the way we celebrate in Canada and the US so it is not surprising that only 54% allow thier kids to go our trick or treating.

As for the candy issue. Maybe her kids have allergies and instead of picking through candy she just buys them some or it just makes her feel safer.

 

[DizBelle]

The point is that she is passing on what she believes *could* be dangerous to someone else's children. Whether or not it is *actually* dangerous is immaterial. She believes it could be dangerous and is passing it on to someone else rather than throwing the candy away and stopping the potential for harm right there.