On the night before Halloween, sewing needles were reportedly found in Halloween candy in Pennsylvania. The Silver Spring Township Police Department said the incident is under investigation, but three pieces of candy had sewing needles in them. The needles were discovered after a parent of a trick-or-treater bit into the candy, ABC27 reported. The police department said that the person that bit into the candy is expected to be OK. The police also reminded parents to check their kids' candy after trick-or-treating.
"Please check your candy. Anyone that finds more or has any information is asked to contact Officer Tyler Mardis," the Silver Spring Township Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.
Although there are many warnings each year that remind parents to check Halloween candy, Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, told NPR that contaminated Halloween candy is not really a concern. He claims that there is no evidence that Halloween candy has injured or killed children, so he doesn't check his kids' Halloween candy.
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At the same time, the Pennsylvania sewing needle incident is not the only trick-or-treating incident reported this year. The Toronto Star reported a similar incident in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Toronto police said that a sewing needle was found in candy that was obtained through trick-or-treating. The police added that no one was hurt because someone checked the candy.
In a separate incident, the Mayville Police Department in Wisconsin reported that a nail was found in a Tootsie Roll. "Check all Tootsie Rolls and any candy where an object can be easily inserted," the police department advised in a Facebook post.
Some have turned the warnings about Halloween candy into a joke. "Check Your Kids' Halloween Candy" is also a meme. The annual trend features images of Halloween candy edited to include ridiculous things "found" inside the candy.
Although the concept of checking kids' Halloween candy has evolved into a popular joke, it is still something that many are concerned about, especially after reports of a child accidentally consuming THC-infused candy.
In Alameda, California, a child got sick after accidentally consuming candy infused with THC. The student got the candy at a trunk or treat event at Earhart Elementary School, CBS reported.
The child is OK now, but after learning of the incident, three other families at the school found THC-infused candy in their kids' candy bags. The police department encouraged parents to check Halloween candy for unusual packaging.