Belmont Police issue Halloween candy warning

BELMONT — Trick-or-Treat hours in Belmont will run from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, and the Belmont Police Department is making sure it is a safe and pleasant Halloween.

Lt. Richard Mann issued a warning about the potential for receiving spiked candy, saying, “My intention ... is not to be an alarmist ... but I think in this instance information is the key to prevention. After all, knowledge is power.”

Mann was referring to a flier from a New Jersey health collaborative that warned of marijuana candy being passed out on Halloween.

“I think this flier ... has some very good information I think our Lakes Region residents ... would benefit from,” Mann said.

The flier notes that marijuana candy often imitates hard or gummy candy or chocolate and can contain a much higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than marijuana plants. Some children have gone to their hospital emergency room for symptoms that can include paranoia, anxiety, depression and short-term forgetfulness.

“If a parent is aware drugged/spiked candy is a potential risk and they exercise due diligence over the candy bag, they are more informed to keep their children safe,” Mann said.

He advises parents to look over any candy to make sure it is properly sealed in its original packaging. Candy that has been repackaged or is homemade should not be consumed unless the parent knows it is from a reliable source, he said.

He also urges adults to accompany children while they are trick-or-treating, and he said children should not accept an offer to enter a stranger’s home.

– Tom Caldwell