A TERRIFYING TALL TALE
Halloween Candy Myths That Won’t Die
Halloween has many rituals: hanging up spooky decorations, choosing costumes, and going trick-or-treating. And one nearly universal routine is parents checking their children’s candy stash and throwing out anything deemed suspicious. People consider it an unfortunate but necessary part of life, and the danger seems vast. There are supposedly razor blades in apples, candy laced with drugs, and sweet treats made with poison. But the fear is almost entirely unfounded. Stories of poisoned Halloween candy trace back to at least the 1960s, and the New Jersey legislature passed a law against tampering with apples in 1968. It seemed prudent since 13 people reported finding razor blades in apples that year. However, at least 75% of those cases were hoaxes, and there was insufficient information about the others to determine their veracity. Several prominent op-eds warned against tainted candy in the 1970s, and fear increased after a 1982 incident where multiple people died in Chicago from cyanide-laced Tylenol. If a maniac could poison consumers like that, people asked, why wouldn’t they target Halloween candy? Meanwhile, the stories have kept coming: a child who died of a heroin overdose, Pixy Stix filled with cyanide, and childhood sweets substituted with cannabis candy.
Some stories had a kernel of truth but did
not match the original news reports. The heroin overdose originated with a family member’s stash; they blamed candy as a
Though more than 400 million “Goosebumps” books have been printed internationally, the series was anything but a surefire hit. Author R. L. Stine didn’t even want to write the series, but his wife/editor convinced him that horror stories for 7–11-year-olds would do well. The series started as four books, beginning with “Welcome to the Dead House,” a tale about zombie children. In retrospect, Stine conceded that this first volume was too scary and didn’t inject enough humor. By the second book, “Stay Out of the Basement,” he believed he had his winning formula. But the series didn’t take off right away. There was no marketing budget, so “Goosebumps” relied on word of mouth to find kids who wanted to read them. Eventually, children learned about the series from friends, and it became a runaway smash beloved for its creepy tales, light jokes, and twisty endings. Stine mined his own childhood fears for story ideas, and kids gobbled them up, begging their parents for each new release. When Stine ran out of stories, he resorted to creating book titles and inventing plots around them. Most books took him three weeks to write, while the illustrator spent an average of 35 hours on the covers. “Goosebumps” soon became too popular to stay on the page alone, and a TV series began airing in 1995. In 2012, a live-action film starring Jack Black hit theaters. And there are now seven unique “Goosebumps” book series. Even countless library challenges from concerned parents in the 1990s couldn’t hold the franchise back. Adults looking to relive their youth through the series will find brisk reading and likely some amusement at what used to make their skin crawl. But if you have a child who is up for something slightly scary, it would be much more fun to enjoy them together as a family. Try reading aloud to each other or starting a family book club. It’s the perfect way to get into a family-friendly Halloween state of mind. coverup. One father tragically murdered his son with poisoned candy and blamed it on trick-or-treating. And while it’s true that some edible THC products look like regular candy, they’re also far more expensive, and users are unlikely to give them away for free. Sociologist Joel Best has studied claims of contaminated Halloween candy since 1985 and has never once confirmed an intentional poisoning or injury by a non-family member. He speculates that people circulate the legends each year almost as a tradition. Further, examining potentially dangerous candy makes parents feel in control compared to many other dangers their children face. So, inspect your child’s trick-or-treat haul if you must. After all, it’s tradition. But rest assured that the risk is only as authentic as the fake cobwebs on your front porch.
2 www.BridgeriverLLC.com Children of the ’90s (and those who raised them) will likely remember the spooky preteen book series “Goosebumps.” Over 62 volumes, author R.L. Stine terrified and delighted young thrill-seekers, and the expanded series continues to do so today. The first book was released 30 years ago in 1992, and the year’s scariest month is the perfect time to revisit its origins and legacy. Behind the Classic Kids’ Book Series ‘Goosebumps’
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