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Glow sticks and batteries trigger more Halloween night calls to poison center than tampered candy

Various kinds of candy sit in a bowl decorated for Halloween.
Jennifer Weekes-Osada
/
WAER
Various kinds of candy sit in a bowl decorated for Halloween.

Halloween often has parents worried about the safety of their children’s candy. But a bigger concern may be some of the products they’re wearing with their costumes. The Upstate New York Poison Control Center says calls increase two to three times around Halloween. And many are linked back to flashing battery-operated lights or glow sticks.

The center’s Dr. Christine Stork said they already received calls over the weekend from parents looking for help after their child bit into one of the fluorescent wands.

“A glow stick causes kind of burning, an oral irritation—so kind of removing it, swiping with a wet washcloth and giving something to kind of like swish and spit or get rid of that sensation. If it goes away. That's great,” Stork said.

But if it does not, a child may need medical care.

The devices can help ensure that young trick-or-treaters stay visible to cars at night—the Syracuse Police Department warned on social media that the risk of a vehicle striking a child increases on Halloween.

While the department suggested people use reflective tape on costumes, Stork said battery powered lights that flash can also be helpful. But she said parents or guardians should closely monitor younger children to make sure they don’t ingest the lithium battery inside.

“We’re going to send somebody into the hospital for that—that's a significant exposure,” Stork said.

Some children may have access to the battery if it needs to be replaced before heading out the door and the old one is accidentally left in an easy-to-grab spot, she said.

Stork said re-using cosmetics or costume make-up from years past can also be harmful if past their shelf life.

“Year after year, you try to reuse them many times, but they do have expiration dates, they can grow bacteria, they can be irritating,” Stork said.

The Poison Center is open 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222.