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Take no chances with kids’ treats

Only a few local communities — Bartlett, Cutler and McConnelsville — remain to hold their annual trick-or-treating; but parents likely are still faced with mounds of Halloween candy from events held over the weekend and last night.

To those who have not yet had a chance to do so, and to those who will get the chance this evening: Check your kids’ candy and other treats.

A family in Galion, Ohio, (between Columbus and Cleveland) is dealing with the aftermath when a 5-year-old boy ate a piece of candy that may have been laced with drugs. He was hospitalized for a suspected seizure and later tested positive for methamphetamines.

Police collected both the remainder of the child’s candy and a set of fake vampire teeth he was wearing. They issued a reminder to parents to check not just candy, but also non-candy treats children might receive, such as rings, bracelets, necklaces or fake teeth.

Law enforcement officials in Georgia warned they had recently seized drugs that were “stamped and resembled to look like specific candies.”

The police chief in that community said the pills were made to look like Sweet Tarts.

Such cases are, thank goodness, still very rare; and it is worth noting the incident in Galion is still under investigation.

But it is better to be safe than sorry. Halloween is meant to be a fun holiday on which kids get to dress up and snag a few extra treats. It may be out of an abundance of caution, but take the time to give those treats a once-over — just in case.

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