Poisoned Halloween candy from a stranger? A researcher can't find one child it ever seriously hurt. So should you still check the haul? Yes. Just stop checking it for the wrong thing. Wait till you're home, keep only commercially wrapped treats, toss anything tampered, read every label, pull choking hazards. But the real risk isn't the one you were warned about. It looks almost exactly like candy. Step one: no snacking on the sidewalk.

Everything waits until you're home and can look it over. Step two: dump the whole pillowcase on the kitchen table and keep only commercially wrapped treats. Homemade brownies from the sweet neighbor down the street? Set them aside. That's the FDA talking. Step three: look for torn or opened wrappers, wrappers that don't match the candy, odd colors. Anything that smells strange or just looks off goes straight in the trash.

No debate. Step four: read the labels like a health inspector. Misspelled brand names, look-alike packaging, tiny THC symbols. Step five, for toddlers: gum, peanuts, hard candies and small toys come out. Food allergy? Check every label. Step six: store the stash somewhere the dog can't get to it. Pets and candy don't mix. Now the legend: strangers slip poison or razor blades into Halloween candy every single year.

University of Delaware sociologist Joel Best has collected candy-contamination reports going all the way back to 1958. His verdict: he can't find evidence any child was ever killed or seriously hurt by a contaminated treat. The one poisoning he found? A Texas man who poisoned his own son and hoped it looked random. So why check at all? Here's the part nobody tells you: cannabis edibles. Many look almost exactly like regular store candy, right down to copycat wrappers.

The THC warning symbol is often tiny and tucked somewhere you'd never think to look. And one edible can hold several times the typical adult dose. For a little kid, that's a lot. Pediatricians say it rarely lands in a bag on purpose. The risk is a look-alike, often from someone's own home. But what if they already ate one before you checked? In almost every case, that's fine. If you think it might have been an edible, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Right away. Even if your child seems fine. Serious symptoms can take 3 to 4 hours to show up. Watch for confusion, agitation, slurred speech, poor coordination, severe sleepiness. Severe symptoms? Call 911 or go to the ER. And if the dog raided the bag, that can be a problem. Chocolate, candy and xylitol are poisonous to pets. So check the candy. Wrapped only, wrappers intact, labels read, little-kid hazards out, stash out of reach.

Just stop checking it for a boogeyman decades of reports couldn't turn up. Then take your cut. Every good inspector charges a fee.