Needle Found In Halloween Candy: Woonsocket Police

WOONSOCKET, RI — A sewing needle was found inside Halloween candy on Saturday night, Woonsocket police said, reminding parents to always check their children's Halloween hauls carefully.

"We are asking parents to check their children’s Halloween candy vigilantly," the department said in a post on Facebook. "We received one report from a family who stated that they received Twizzlers with needles in them while in the Bernon district. We are investigating."

While reports of tampered Halloween candy run rampant each October, there have been very few verified reports of children becoming sick or injured. In 2015, the Associated Press reported a similar incident in Pawtucket, when a Pawtucket woman said she found a sewing needle inside a Snickers Bar.

According to the Washington Post, while reports of tampered candy — from razor blades in apples to THC-laced lollipops — are so common because such urban legends are hard to disprove.

"Tampered-with candy is scary because it’s possible," the report read in part. "But there is little evidence to suggest that the stranger down the street is a real Halloween threat."

The Rhode Island Department of Health encouraged parents to inspect their children's Halloween candy, checking for any signs of ripped packaging, pinholes, discoloring or other unusual appearance and to stop children from eating homemade candy or baked goods while trick-or-treating.