FOG BLOG RIDICULOG: MALICIOUS TAMPERING OF HALLOWEEN CANDY~ THE FACTS!
Trick or truth? The real story behind Halloween candy tampering
4 cases of tampering reported between 2008 and 2019, but none resulted in injury or death, CFIA says Every year, reports of trick-or-treaters falling victim to tampered Halloween candy make headlines across the country, confirming concerned parents' worst fears.
Razor blades, sewing needles, even poison – police forces across North America have reported cases of nefarious objects in treats for decades.
But how many children have actually been seriously injured or died as a result? The answer – given the available data on the topic – seems to be not a single one.
There have been four cases of suspected tampering related to Halloween candy reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) between April 1, 2008, and Oct. 15, 2019.
Two of those cases were referred to local police, but the CFIA said no illnesses or deaths were associated with any of the cases.
Tracking incidences of candy tampering is difficult for police, as such behaviour generally falls under the criminal charge of mischief, and no database of such crimes exists.
The RCMP and local police services across Canada – including in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax – were unable to confirm whether or not charges had ever been laid in connection with Halloween candy tampering. Trick or truth?
Joel Best, a University of Delaware sociology and criminal justice professor, has researched reports of Halloween candy tampering in the U.S. dating back to the 1950s.
"I couldn't find a single report of a child killed or seriously injured from a contaminated treat received during trick-or-treating," he said. "This is a contemporary legend, and that's all it is." Best identified about 200 confirmed cases of candy tampering in the U.S. and Canada since 1958.
"The attempts to systematically follow up on all reports concluded that the vast majority were hoaxes," Best said.
"Is it possible that someone maliciously passes out treats with the intent of harming children at random? Of course. But this raises the question why there usually aren't multiple reports from the same area."
Nearly all Halloween candy tampering reports are hoaxes, expert says
Best said in some instances, kids tampered with their own candy to get attention, or a friend or family member played a prank that went awry or a foreign object ended up in candy during the manufacturing process.
A brief history of Halloween candy tampering
The first report of Halloween treats being tampered with in North America was in 1959.
That Halloween, a California dentist named William Shyne distributed 450 laxative-laced candies to children — 30 of whom fell ill. He was later charged with "outrage of public decency" and "unlawful dispensing of drugs." TO SUM IT UP EVEN IF A LOT OF THESE CASES ARE HOAXES, GOOD TO CHECK EVERYTHING OUT BEFORE CONSUMING. IN SOME CASES THE TAMPERING IS REAL AND THAT BEGS THE QUESTION ....WHO IN THAT QUIET FAMILY NEIGHBOURHOOD WOULD BE SO EVIL AS TO WANT TO HARM CHILDREN? HOPE EVERYONE HAD A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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