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As we progress towards Halloween, which falls on October 31 of every year, there have been multiple reports of Fentanyl Halloween Candy. Over the past few weeks, reports have claimed that fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, may be lurking in Halloween candy this year. These speculations have given birth to the Fentanyl Halloween Candy myth.
According to a press release from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in August, the agency seized pills containing fentanyl that come in bright colors, and various shapes and sizes. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram stated that the agency is concerned that the colorful versions of the drug "is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults."
Fentanyl is a powerful substance. Health officials believe fentanyl to be the deadliest drug threat in the US. Experts believe that a low dosage of 2 milligrams can be lethal. According to CDC data, fentanyl-related overdose death rates have gone up by more than 56%.
But is this Fentanyl Halloween Candy myth true? Multiple experts are skeptical over the claims made by the DEA as many feel that this just leads to fear amongst parents, and nothing concrete exists to prove the same.
Can the candy-colored Fentanyl Halloween Candy cause accidental overdose in kids? Experts doubt the claims about the pills that can be fraudulently given to trick-or-treaters
With the return of pumpkin spices, soups and everything spooky, parents are all the more scared this year due to reports floating around about Fentanyl Halloween candy.
However, experts in the field of substance use are skeptical about DEA’s claims about these Fentanyl Halloween Candies and the chances of kids coming across those while trick-or-treating. Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist and addiction medicine doctor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, said:
“Multicolored pills are a thing in legitimate pharmaceuticals, and these probably emerged to mimic what are actual pills and how those look. They don't look like candy at all. Colored drugs have been a thing for years, if not decades.”
Experts are ruling out the Fentanyl Halloween Candy myth, as they feel that these look like colored pills, and no where resemble candies that are given to kids during Halloween. At the same time, another expert, Joel Best, who has done decades of research on what he calls Halloween sadism, said:
“The worry that somebody might be contaminating treats has been around for a while. It picked up speed in the 1960s, and by the late 1960s, it was pretty well-embedded.”
Experts also claimed that although this fear has been around for years, there has been no specific data of kids being fraudulently given these drugged candies. Furthermore, experts across the country also claim that crime stories that evolve and are reported in the month of September often give birth to new fears in October, since it is the month of Halloween.
Lastly, there is no harm in being cautious about the kids, and parents are always recommended to scan each candy that the kids receive during trick-or-treat. However, such claims about fentanyl being given in the form of candy are being ruled out by the experts, as firstly, there is no data to prove the same. And secondly, there is a considerable visual difference between the candy and the drug pill.
