Keeping kids safe for Halloween

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)---With Halloween just a couple of days away, the state wants to make sure kids don’t accidentally get tricked when they think they’re grabbing a treat.

The Office of Cannabis Management and the Upstate New York Poison Center say some cannabis packaging can look similar to what kids will be eating after trick-or- treating.

"Cannabis edibles look like candy," said Michele Caliva, Operations Director for the Upstate New York Poison Center. "And to make sure that when you get packaging, especially the stuff that looks like the fruit snacks and you take them out of the children’s backpack, to make sure that they clearly say that they are candy, and that they’re not mistakenly edibles because that’s really problematic.:

According to Caliva, a little bite of a cannabis edible is enough to send a child to the emergency room.

"We send all cannabis edible exposures in little ones to an emergency room because it does have an unpredictable effect on children that can be very dangerous."

To prevent this, the Office of Cannabis Management reminds adult consumers, 21 and older, to store cannabis products responsibly.

"I mean keeping those products out of reach, and out of sight locked, and in their original packaging to make sure that young people and pets don’t have accidental exposure or access to those products," advised Lyla Hunt, OCM Deputy Director of Public Health and Education.

OCM also encourages people to buy from licensed stores since the product is tested and has packaging regulations.

"Our Enforcement officers and folks boots on the ground are making sure they’re confiscating products that look like other products in the home like snacks, candy, and more," said Hunt.

While the poison center does not get a lot of calls about accidental cannabis exposure, it gets many calls about glow sticks.

"The good news is, the liquid that’s in the glow sticks is non-toxic, but if they bite into glow stick— whether it’s the bracelet or the necklace, that liquid will cause their mouth to become irritated," said Caliva.

She recommends having the little ones suck on a cold washcloth and to rinse their mouth out with water. Parents with any questions can call the poison center.

https://www.upstate.edu/poison/

"They can call us at 1-800-222-1222, and they can talk to a nurse, or a physician, or a pharmacist and they will answer any questions."