The Trifecta of Halloween Urban Myths

On “No More Helicopter Parenting: Let Grow Support Group” a reader wrote:

I can’t with the Halloween scare tactics. One local urgent care center is offering to x-ray kids’ candy to make sure it’s safe. The local sex offender registry pops up when I Google for trick or treat routes and the police have circulated a flyer with safety tips which includes “throw away all apples.”

We replied:

Wow — the trifecta of urban myths! And yet:

1 – No child has ever been poisoned by a stranger’s Halloween candy.

2 – No child has been molested by a someone on the registry while trick or treating. (In fact, sex crimes vs. kids do not go up on the holiday.)

3 – No child wants an apple when they’ve got bite-size MilkyWays.

And yes, yes, that third fact probably needs an asterisk. Some kid somewhere is no doubt more psyched about apples than chocolate-covered caramel and nougat.

We just haven’t met ’em.

Have a fantastic Halloween despite the fearmongerers!

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Photo from Unsplash by @sasotusar