Every October, the same scary story circulates: strangers handing out Halloween candy laced with drugs. Rainbow fentanyl pills disguised as Skittles. THC edibles mixed with Snickers bars. Candy that kills.
Here’s what you need to know: it’s not happening. Not in Texas, not anywhere.
But something else is killing kids on Halloween, and it’s much more mundane. Cars.
What the Experts Actually Say
Criminologist Joel Best at the University of Delaware has catalogued instances of contaminated Halloween candy going back nearly as far as trick-or-treating has existed. His finding? There has never been a substantiated case of a child being seriously injured or killed by Halloween treats from a stranger.
Never. Not once. Zero confirmed cases.
Captain Darren Noak with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services has worked in emergency response for 27 years. “I’m not aware of any cases that resulted in an overdose from Halloween candy,” he told reporters. Austin Police Department echoed that sentiment—they have no active investigations into drugged candy and haven’t commonly seen it.
The Drug Enforcement Administration issued warnings about rainbow fentanyl in August 2022, sparking widespread panic. Some law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after seizing 12,000 fentanyl pills packaged in Skittles, Whoppers, and SweeTarts boxes at LAX, urged parents to check candy. But those pills were being smuggled through the airport for trafficking—not distributed to trick-or-treaters.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram told NBC News and Fox News in September 2022 that the agency had seen no connection between rainbow fentanyl and Halloween. “We have not seen any connection to Halloween,” Milgram stated clearly. The warning wasn’t about trick-or-treating—it was about drug trafficking targeting young adults at parties and through counterfeit pills sold on social media.
Why the Myth Won’t Die
The fear makes sense emotionally. Fentanyl is deadly. It’s killing people across Texas. And brightly colored pills that look like candy do exist—drug traffickers create them to appeal to younger buyers at parties, not to hand out to trick-or-treaters.
But from a practical standpoint, the drugged candy theory falls apart immediately. Fentanyl costs money. Lots of money. No one’s buying expensive drugs to give away free to random kids. There’s no profit motive, no twisted logic that makes it make sense.
Yet the myth persists because fear spreads faster than facts. One unverified social media post about “rainbow fentanyl in Halloween candy” gets shared thousands of times. News outlets cover the warnings. Parents panic. And suddenly everyone “knows” about the danger that doesn’t exist.
The Real Danger: Traffic
Here’s what’s actually killing kids on Halloween: cars hitting pedestrians.
On average, 5.5 children die in pedestrian accidents on Halloween, compared to 2.6 on a normal day. That’s more than twice the usual rate. Child pedestrian deaths on October 31st increase by 43% compared to any other day of the year.
More child pedestrians die in October than in any other month. Safe Kids Worldwide reports you’re twice as likely to be involved in a fatal auto-pedestrian incident on Halloween than any other day.
Nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities on Halloween involve drunk drivers. The combination of increased foot traffic, excited kids darting between cars, darker costumes, and impaired drivers creates a perfect storm of danger.
Austin-Travis County EMS is much more concerned about kids walking in the street than about candy being laced with drugs. That’s where the real risk lives.
What Texas Officials Want You to Know
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw put it simply: “We ask that you take some simple safety measures—like staying visible, traveling in groups and remaining alert—so that everyone is safe and Halloween remains an enjoyable night for all across the state.”
DPS released comprehensive Halloween safety guidelines focusing on the actual threats, not the imaginary ones.
For Trick-or-Treaters:
- Make costumes bright and reflective. Add reflective tape to darker costumes so drivers can see kids at night
- Use face paint instead of masks that could obstruct vision
- Walk on sidewalks. In areas without sidewalks, walk on the far edge of the road facing traffic
- Cross streets at corners using traffic signals and crosswalks
- Look left, right, and left again when crossing. Keep looking as you cross
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them
- Watch for cars turning or backing up
- Never dart into the street or cross between parked cars
- Carry flashlights or glow sticks
- Travel with adult supervision. Kids under 12 should always have an adult with them
- Visit only well-lit houses
- Have a trusted adult contact stored in your mobile device
For Drivers:
- Don’t drink and drive. Make alternate plans if you consume alcohol
- Don’t assume children are paying attention to your vehicle
- Slow down dramatically in residential neighborhoods
- Turn headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances
- Eliminate distractions, especially mobile devices. Texas law prohibits using portable wireless devices to read, write, or send electronic messages unless the vehicle is stopped
- If using navigation, have a passenger operate it
- Drive defensively. Halloween brings unpredictable pedestrian behavior
- Watch for children between parked cars, emerging from between vehicles, and crossing mid-block
For Homeowners:
- Turn on porch lights
- Move lit jack-o-lanterns away from high-traffic areas. Use flashlights or LED candles instead of real flames
- Clear walkways of hazards
- Remove objects from yards that might trip children
About That Candy
Should you check your kids’ candy? Sure. It’s good practice and takes five minutes. But you’re not looking for drugs—you’re looking for signs of tampering.
The FDA recommends inspecting commercially wrapped treats for unusual appearance, discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious. Discard homemade treats unless they’re from someone you know and trust. Tell kids not to accept or eat anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.
That’s it. That’s the whole candy safety protocol. No need for X-ray machines, no need to throw everything away, no need to panic about fentanyl.
The Conversation Worth Having
If you want to talk to your kids about drugs this Halloween, focus on the real threat: counterfeit prescription pills bought on social media or obtained from friends. That’s where fentanyl exposure actually happens among teens and young adults—at parties, not while trick-or-treating.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports a dramatic rise in overdose deaths among adolescents aged 14-18, driven by illicit counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Those pills get passed around at parties where teens think they’re taking Xanax or Percocet, but they’re actually taking fentanyl.
That conversation matters. The drugged candy conversation doesn’t.
Recommended Trick-or-Treating Hours
Law enforcement across Texas recommends trick-or-treating between 6pm and 8pm. This window allows patrol officers to focus on child safety and gives residents a consistent timeframe for handing out treats.
Visibility is better during these hours than later in the evening, though it’s still dark enough that reflective costumes matter significantly.
Know Your Neighborhood
Before heading out, check the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry at txsexoffenderregistry.org. It includes a map showing where registered sex offenders reside in any given area. Plan your route accordingly.
The Bottom Line
Halloween’s real dangers are boring and preventable. Cars hit kids. Drunk drivers make terrible decisions. Costumes trip children into traffic. Masks block peripheral vision. Dark clothing makes kids invisible to drivers.
Those are the threats. Not candy from strangers.
Spend your energy making your kids visible to drivers. Add reflective tape to costumes. Carry flashlights. Walk with your children. Drive slowly through neighborhoods. Skip the alcohol if you’re driving.
Forget about checking candy for drugs that aren’t there. Watch for cars that are.
Have a safe Halloween, Texas. The real dangers are mundane, but they’re also manageable. Pay attention to traffic, stay visible, and everyone gets home safely with a bag full of candy.
Emergency Contacts
Texas Roadside Assistance: 1-800-525-5555 (also on the back of your Texas Driver License)
iWatchTexas (report suspicious activity): 844-643-2251 or via the free iOS/Android app at iwatchtx.org Not for emergencies—call 911 for emergencies
Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
For more Halloween safety information, visit the Texas Department of Public Safety website at dps.texas.gov.
