New York City health officials are asking families to prevent accidental poisonings during Halloween by checking treats and separating medications, cannabis products and small objects from children's food. The advisory is based on events the city's Poison Center handles every year rather than a warning about a specific contaminated product. In 2025, the center received 124 Halloween-day calls involving possible poison exposure, including 47 concerning children younger than 12.
Glow sticks, toys and other small objects were among the frequent reasons for those calls. The Health Department advises adults to supervise young children using glow products and not allow the tubes or jewelry to be bitten, chewed or opened. Hard candy, gum, tiny toys and button batteries can create choking or ingestion hazards. Items suited to an older child may still be unsafe for a younger sibling who reaches the same treat bag.
Cannabis edibles require particular attention because gummies, chocolates, cookies and other products can resemble familiar snacks. The Poison Center recorded 137 calls involving edible-cannabis exposure among children younger than five from July 2025 through June 2026. Officials recommend keeping those products in their original packaging, apart from ordinary food and Halloween candy, and in a secured location that children cannot see or reach.
Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and vitamins can also be mistaken for candy. A child-resistant cap reduces risk but does not make a container childproof. Medicines should be returned to secure storage immediately after use rather than left on a counter, in a purse or beside a bed. Adults hosting visitors should consider medicines brought into the home as well as their own, because a different bag or jacket can create an unexpected source of access.
Before children eat collected treats, caregivers should inspect packaging and discard anything open, unwrapped, damaged or visibly altered. Labels should also be checked for allergens relevant to the child. The inspection is a practical screen, not a guarantee that every risk can be identified by sight. Families with allergy plans or prescribed emergency medicine should follow the guidance provided by their clinician and ensure the appropriate medicine is available during celebrations.
The NYC Poison Center operates 24 hours a day at 212-POISONS, or 212-764-7667, and offers free, confidential advice from trained pharmacists and nurses. An online chat option is also available through the center's official webpage. Officials say callers should seek guidance immediately after a suspected exposure even when the person is awake and has no symptoms, because the appropriate response can depend on the substance, amount, age and timing.
The Health Department specifically advises against making someone vomit after swallowing a potentially poisonous substance. If a person is unconscious, having seizures or convulsions, or having trouble breathing, the correct response is to call 911. These two pathways serve different needs: the Poison Center provides immediate expert assessment for a suspected exposure, while emergency services are necessary when life-threatening symptoms are present.
Halloween safety does not require eliminating candy, costumes or glow decorations. It requires arranging the environment so that a young child is less likely to confuse an adult product with a treat and so that caregivers know where to call if something happens. The city's data show that small household objects and familiar products generate real questions. A brief check, secure storage and fast expert advice can keep an ordinary mistake from becoming a medical emergency.
Primary sources: NYC Health Department; NYC Poison Center. Reviewed October 31, 2026. Development: October 29–31, 2026.