The Halloween Candy Panics That Changed Trick-or-Treating

The “check your candy” ritual became so ingrained in our culture that it even made its way into the classroom. Schools started to actively teach children how to be safe on Halloween, and that included what to do with their candy. Some teachers would create hands-on activities to get the point across. They might have students sort through a pile of sample treats, picking out which ones looked safe and which ones looked risky. The classroom became another place to reinforce the rules: only take wrapped candy, and always let an adult check it before you eat anything.