By Klea Gjergji ’23
If you were sitting outside on Halloween handing out sweet treats, you might have noticed the low concentration of trick-or-treaters this year. Halloween used to be a holiday with crowds of kids roaming the neighborhood, but why was there such a drastic decrease this year?
In the months leading up to October, there was a nationwide concern from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), about ‘Rainbow Fentanyl’ that could be used to target kids and young people. This dangerous substance is disguised as candy but is considered a lethal dose if one is consumed. This could have a part in why parents are not allowing their children to go trick or treating, due to paranoia and the fact that rainbow fentanyl is difficult to distinguish from other pieces of candy. Not only has fentanyl been a big issue, but other substances such as Cyanide and Tylenol have been said to be found in treats.
Secondly, new ways of trick-or-treating have emerged during recent years, such as ‘Trunk-or-treat’ and the downtown trick-or-treating that Beverly holds annually. Trunk-or-treat consists of getting candy from a car trunk in a small area (most likely a school event), while store businesses give out candy during the downtown trick-or-treat. This could be a factor as to why the door-to-door tradition is slowly becoming less popular. Some parents may prefer these alternatives more because they supposedly seem safer and easier than having their children roam the streets at night.
In conclusion, safety concerns seem to be a recurring theme as to why trick-or-treat tradition is slowly diminishing. Whether or not the Halloween spirit will still continue in upcoming years is a wonder that only time will tell.
Image Credit: Parade by Jessica Singer
