Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said this could be the scariest Halloween of her lifetime -- that is why she’s warning families to watch out for candy tainted with the deadly drug fentanyl.
Moody said law enforcement agencies are seeing an increase in candies designed to attract children.
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The DEA recently seized12,000 fentanyl pills in popular Halloween candy packages at the Los Angeles airport and approximately 15,000 colored-fentanyl pills in Nerds candy boxes and Skittles candy bags.
“I have no doubt that the cartels are trying to purposefully target children at a younger and younger age to get them addicted, which will ensure consistent profits,” Moody said.
News4JAX reported on the recent “rainbow fentanyl” trend -- and while there haven’t been any cases of tainted Halloween candy in Florida, Moody is urging parents to be careful.
A mother is also encouraging people through a group she formed called “Blue Plaid Society.”
Suzy Pereira formed this group after she lost her son Tristan Wells who was just 26-year-old when he died from fentanyl in November 2021.
“Our goal is to not incite panic about trick-or-treating,” Pereira said. “It’s merely to be a reminder to remain vigilant in the protection of your children.”
It is suggested that parents should throw away any candy that has already been opened or seems to have been tampered with.