Candy or Meth? It May Be Hard to Tell
Every Halloween raises the specter of candy laced with drugs, or drugs made to look like candy, finding their way into children's trick or treat bags. (We know it's only April, but bear with us here.) The worry builds all October, and then most kids come home with the standard Snickers Mini and not some LSD-laced Starburst.
It would also help if parents and school administrators were familiar with what drugs look like -- much of the paranoia about drug-laced candy or candy replica drugs comes from a fear that drugs could look like anything or find their way into everything. Like a recent case near Sacramento, where school officials thought they found meth in a student's candy, when what they really found was a student carrying a tab of Ecstasy.
Smarties and Dummies
It sounds alarming enough in The Sacramento Bee: "What appeared to be Smarties candy was confiscated from a student, and a test of the substance came back positive for methamphetamine." Kids were warned not to accept candy from other students. A letter was written to parents. Hands were wrung and pearls were clutched.
Here's the thing, though: the tablet tested positive for Ecstasy (a drug also known as MDMA or Molly) and methamphetamine. Which means it was Ecstasy. Not a Smarties candy laced with Ecstasy or meth, but just an Ecstasy tablet. As the article notes, only one tablet was found, and not in a Smarties wrapper. The 14-year-old student said he found it on the ground.
Drugs and Candy
Had school staff done their research, they'd know that many Ecstasy tablets look a lot like candy, which has been a concern for parents and law enforcement for years. And that is not to say that drug dealers won't try to disguise Ecstasy tablets as Smarties or try to lace Smarties with drugs. But when they do, it looks a lot more like this.
Parents should be concerned about their children's exposure to drugs and potential drug use. But that means being educated on what drugs really look like, so they can know when it's just drugs, and not candy laced with drugs.
If you want more information on student drug risks or current drug laws where you live, you can contact an experienced drug crimes attorney near you.
Related Resources:
- Browse Drug Crime Lawyers by Location (FindLaw Directory)
- New Law Would Double Pot Brownie Jail Time (FindLaw Blotter)
- Empanadas Con Cocaine: Baggage Handlers Smuggled Drugs in Treats (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- FDA: Flavors for Candy, Not Cigarettes (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)