Drugs Disguised as Halloween Candy -- Is it a Risk?

With the Halloween holiday just days away, police are warning parents and trick-or-treaters about fun-shaped candies that are actually harmful drugs.

But the danger may not actually be as dire as it at first seems.

On Wednesday, a Facebook post by the Jackson Police Department in Mississippi, spread across the internet like wildfire. Folks across America should be on alert this Halloween because the brightly-colored candy pieces are edible ecstasy tablets, the post warned.

The drugs include pieces shaped like the Superman, Nintendo and Warner Brothers logos, with skulls and domino pieces mixed in. The department warned via Facebook, ”If your kids get these for Halloween candy, they ARE NOT CANDY!!! They are the new shapes of ‘Ecstasy’ and can kill kids through overdoses!!!”

Additionally, the department stressed the importance of throughly checking all Halloween candy saying, “When in doubt, throw it out!!!”

An officer at the department told a local news channel that the post was intended to be a national warning, not just a threat specific to Jackson.

While it’s always a good idea to be vigilant, the risk of drugs-disguised-as-candy showing up in your child’s trick-or-treat bag isn’t likely all that high.

First, young children with no disposable income are not exactly the target market of nefarious drug dealers looking to hook unsuspecting victims on expensive, dangerous drugs.

Second, the drug in question — Ecstasy — isn’t known to be addictive, negating any value to drug dealers of giving out free samples.

Third, there’s the cost factor again. Ecstasy is pricy. The collection of tablets shown above has a street value of several hundred dollars, making that a rather expensive trick-or-treat to hand out.

Still, it’s always best to be safe. Other drug makers have disguised dangerous drugs — including Flakka, similar to bath salts — as popular candy.

If you happen to come across these drug-laced candies while trick-or-treating in Westwood this year, immediately contact police.