Two Parents Were Hospitalized Because They Ate Drugged Sour Patch Kids, And WTF Is Happening Anymore?

Back when I was a kid, parents were all about checking the Halloween candy that their kids worked hard to get from their neighborhood. Sure, everyone seemed trustworthy — but just one paranoid news report about apples and razor blades made them feel like it’s better to be safe than sorry. Tainted candy is still a threat, but here’s the scary part. It could be harder to identify than you actually think.

After the holiday, two parents from Aloha, Oregon sampled some Sour Patch Kids from their children’s loot. They claim the package seemed like it was sealed. Still, they felt funny after ingesting them. Things were so bad that they actually called the police to get some answers.

The candy was tested and came up positive for meth. There haven’t been any other reports of meth-tainted Halloween candy so far in the neighborhood, but even having one pack out there is pretty scary. Can we not trust anyone anymore?

Here’s the good news — the parents got to the candy before their kids did. While the situation is unfortunate, it’d be even more upsetting if underaged children had been exposed. In a strange way, they were actually lucky.

Still, it’s a good reminder that candy still should be thoroughly checked. Even if you’re trick-or-treating in a neighborhood you think is safe, you never know what might make its way into someone’s plastic pumpkin. Check to see if candy looks like it may have been resealed, or if the wrapper has any damage to it. And of course, never eat loose candy like candy corn or snacks that had a wrapper fall off.

While this story is a bit frightening, know that poisoned or drugged Halloween candy is still incredibly rare. Safety is important, but this story shouldn’t force you to keep your kids indoors next year.