MICHAEL FOWLER: Don’t be tricked by treats this Halloween

It’s that time of year again. Time for the little ones to dress up as their favorite characters and patrol the streets for candy and treats. I remember trick-or-treating when I was a kid, and things were a lot different then. Back then, our only danger was getting a stomachache from eating too many sweets and maybe a spanking from your parents if you did like I did and hid some of the treats for later.

Today, a different danger lurks on the streets. Our kids are not the only ones dressing up for Halloween these days. After a recent death here in Albany, drug unit officials have learned that street drugs have taken on a whole new form. We used to be able to recognize drugs such as marijuana looking like grass in a bag or cocaine as a white powdery substance. Now, drugs look a lot like common candy, which makes it very confusing and dangerous for children and even harder for law enforcement to get off the streets.

Molly and Flakka look exactly like candy. Molly is a form of Ecstasy that often comes in a pill form with various cartoon characters such as Batman, butterflies, and Playboy bunnies imprinted on them. Flakka is a powdery substance that is used to coat gummy bears and made to resemble the Sour Patch Kids candy. Sometimes drug dealers will even melt the substance and inject it into gummy bears or jelly beans. Methamphetamine is even being packaged to look like Smarties candy, even going so far as to use the Smarties wrapper. Scary, isn’t it?

These are dangerous synthetic drugs being disguised as sugary treats. This is a very disturbing and deadly trend. Parents and guardians, I am urging you to be extra cautious this Halloween and even after. Check your child(ren)’s candy before allowing them to eat it. Examine each piece closely. Discard any loose or unpackaged candies. Check wrappers for small holes or tears that could indicate tampering. And if there is ever any doubt, throw it out!

Teach your children not to take candy from friends at school or on the playground that is not store-packaged. We can never be too careful when an innocent child may have taken these drugs from home, thinking they are candy, and bring them to school to share with other children — your children. If you notice your child exhibiting strange behavior such as restlessness, irritability, nausea, chills or possible loss of consciousness, please seek medical attention immediately.

I want Halloween and trick-or-treating to be an enjoyable experience, and I am asking all adults to monitor and be attentive to the candy and treats that all children receive. Let us work together to prevent a drug-related injury or death of a child who is just trying to enjoy some sweets.

Michael Fowler is Dougherty County coroner.