Trick-or-Treat Safety

Although Halloween is a time filled with exciting and fun activities, it’s a busy time for everyone, including the state’s poison control center. Each year, about 35 million children in the United States trick-or-treat on Halloween night, 3,200 people go to the emergency department on Halloween for injuries and 46% of those are under the age of 18.

With people preoccupied preparing for school parades, parties, and trunk/trick-or-treating, paying attention to what’s happening around them can be hard. It’s important to remember potential poisons hide in plain sight in our everyday environments. Any product or substance, legal or illegal, can be poisonous if used in the wrong way, the wrong amount (dose), or by the wrong person.

In the past, the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School assisted in the medical care of Halloween-related cases ranging from a toddler who was admitted to the hospital with severe nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing from ingesting cannabis (marijuana) edibles found in his babysitter’s coat pocket to a parent who suffered injuries from mishandling and incorrectly storing dry ice.

“Halloween-related mishaps and accidents involving potential poisons go beyond the fear of contaminated candy,” says Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “Our medical professionals get calls throughout the night about many things — from glow sticks to face paint; allergic reactions to food poisoning; belly aches to cannabis edibles; and chemical burns to alcohol poisoning.”

The state’s poison control center is on alert each October because of the increased risk of mistaking potentially dangerous products for Halloween candy at home. These products can fool anyone, not just kids and pets. Prescription and over-the-counter (non-prescription) medicines are not the only products easily confused with candy. Cannabis edibles can be confusing since they look like candy and other sweets that do not contain THC (the active substance in cannabis that makes a person feel “high”).

Poison center experts and other health and safety officials understand that it is highly unlikely someone would intentionally give out cannabis edibles to children on Halloween. What’s more likely to happen, especially with Halloween candy and edibles around homes, is a child accidentally finds and eats an edible thinking it is candy meant for trick-or-treating. To prevent accidental exposure to edibles, treat edibles like medicine. Keeping them locked away, out of sight and reach of children and pets.

As of September 2024, the New Jersey Poison Control Center assisted in the medical treatment of more than 100 children ages 5 and younger who were accidentally exposed to cannabis edibles.

Be alert to food allergies. About 4 million children in the U.S. are allergic to foods such as peanuts, wheat, milk, tree nuts or eggs. Many children may have severe reactions to these ingredients. If your child has a food allergy, monitor the candy and other treats they get while trick-or-treating. Parents of children with food allergies can reference the Teal Pumpkin Project website to find out which homes are food-allergy friendly and giving out nonfood items on Halloween.

If planning a party, make sure children and pets don’t get into alcoholic beverages. The amount of alcohol in beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails/punches affects children and pets differently than adults. Even swallowing a small amount of alcohol can cause serious health effects and death.

It’s easy to overindulge without realizing you’ve consumed too much alcohol. A person who appears to be very drunk or has passed out may be showing early signs of alcohol poisoning and be in real danger. Immediate medical help is essential. “Sleeping it off” is never a safe option. It’s important to know the critical signs of alcohol poisoning.

Pets are not only at risk of alcohol poisoning, they’re also at risk of poisoning from candies, chocolates, and other Halloween-related items. Chocolate, cocoa, candy, and anything sugarless can be poisonous to pets. Artificial sweeteners like xylitol (also called wood sugar, birch sugar, and birch bark extract) can cause severe illness if pets eat products containing this ingredient.

Keep dangerous products up high and out of sight and reach of pets. If any of these items are swallowed, get help fast. Call a veterinarian or visit an animal hospital if a pet has ingested something dangerous.

The New Jersey Poison Control Center offers the following safety tips to prevent potentially dangerous mishaps while celebrating Halloween.

• Avoid homemade treats when trick-or-treating.
• Teach kids that medicine is not candy. Lock up medicines to prevent accidental poisoning.
• Use non-toxic makeup to paint faces and body parts. Test on a small area of skin to be sure it will not cause an allergic reaction.
• Dry ice can cause severe burns and frostbite if it touches the skin or is swallowed. Use gloves to protect your skin.
• Look out for potentially dangerous products that look like candy.
• Safety Video

When a mishap occurs involving a potentially dangerous product or substance, many people call 9-1-1 or spend hours in the emergency room when they could have called the New Jersey Poison Control Center for medical help. Calling the Poison Help line is the fastest way to get the help or information you need to prevent further injury. Anyone can call the poison control center for help – children, teens, and adults. Call 1-800-222-1222 or Chat Here. If someone is not breathing, hard to wake up, or having a seizure, call 9-1-1.