Halloween Safety

Poison Control Center Cases:

1. An emergency room physician consulted with the poison control center about a toddler having a seizure after ingesting an unknown amount of marijuana edibles.
2. A four-year old child accidentally ingested marijuana edibles found in the grandmother’s purse without her knowing. It wasn’t until the child became unusually tired and unbalanced while standing that she realized the child ate some of her edibles. The child was brought into an emergency room for evaluation and admitted to the hospital for 24-hours.

Poison center experts and other health and safety officials understand that it is highly unlikely someone would intentionally give out marijuana 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. Keeping edibles locked up, out of sight and reach of children and pets will prevent accidental exposure to edibles.

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. 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.

“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 marijuana 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. Marijuana edibles can be confusing since they look like candy and other sweets that do not contain THC (the active substance in marijuana that makes a person feel “high”).

Treat marijuana edibles like medicine. Keep them locked up and out of sight to prevent children and pets from accidentally ingesting them.

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 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.

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 gotten the help they needed over the phone from their local poison control center. Calling the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 is always the fastest way to get the medical help or information you need to prevent further injury.

Safety tips for a fun and safe Halloween celebration – safety video

• 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.

If you think someone came in contact with something dangerous, contact the New Jersey Poison Control Center immediately for medical treatment advice. Poison control centers are a medical resource for both the public and healthcare professionals. Get help 24/7. 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.

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Media contacts only: Alicia Gambino ([email protected]), New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School