Keep Halloween treats safe

Families in Navarre should be prepared to hand out treats to trick-or-treaters Monday night for Halloween, but parents are encouraged to inspect candy before children consume it.

In addition to the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office safety tips, the Florida/USVI Poison Information Center released an advisory regarding tainted candy, use of costume materials and food-borne illnesses. The press release stated that children 6 and younger are the number one victim of accidental poisonings.

“Although rumors of tainted Halloween candy were rampant in the 70s and 80s, a far graver danger for small children is the risk that they might accidentally mistake medications for treats,” it stated.

The Poison Information Center in Jacksonville received about 41,000 human exposure calls, nearly half of which involved accidental ingestions in children 6 and younger. On Oct. 31 alone the center received 177 calls for help and advice.

For more on this story, see the Oct. 27 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.