{"id":4139,"date":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/uncategorized\/halloween-safety-top-choking-threats-for-candy-snacks\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T23:17:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T23:17:12","slug":"halloween-safety-top-choking-threats-for-candy-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/news\/halloween-safety-top-choking-threats-for-candy-snacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween Safety: Top Choking Threats for Candy & Snacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The witching hour nears! Halloween can be one of the most fun, memorable times of the year as costumed families head out into their neighborhoods for parties and trick-or-treating. Here at Dechoker<\/a>, we find the occasion a good opportunity to remind caregivers about the dangers of choking on candy, snack foods and other risks that are common during this spooky season.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at some common questions we\u2019ve heard from parents around Halloween:<\/p>\n

What Halloween candy has the highest choking risk?<\/h2>\n

As we all know at Halloween, some candies are better than others. (And we\u2019re not just talking about the ongoing debate on candy corn quality!) We\u2019re talking about the risk of choking. According to Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, a lot of Halloween treats fit into the category of choking hazards.<\/p>\n

\u201cHard candy, nuts, raisins, fruit snacks, gum or anything gooey or sticky like caramel, candy corn, taffy or marshmallows,\u201d can be a risk, Murkoff says on\u00a0her blog<\/a>. Other\u00a0top choking foods<\/a> you might find at Halloween parties include popcorn, snack mixes and raw produce such as baby carrots and grapes.<\/p>\n

According to a Forbes\u00a0article<\/a> on a study on childhood choking causes in the journal Pediatrics, \u201cHard candy accounted for 15% of all choking episodes, and other types of candy caused an additional 12.8%.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what candy CAN my kids have?<\/h2>\n

Choking statistics can be scary, but of course we want our kids to have a great Halloween, and that doesn\u2019t have to mean depriving them of all candy.<\/p>\n

Choking risks can never be completely eliminated, but candies that are softer and easier to chew tend to be a safer choice. According to nurse practitioner Danielle McBurnett Stringer, \u201cReese\u2019s Peanut Butter Cups, M&M\u2019s, Hershey\u2019s Kisses, Skittles, and 3 Musketeer Bars are all great examples\u201d of these types of softer candies. (She also has a specific list of candies to avoid that\u2019s\u00a0worth a read<\/a>!)<\/p>\n

We also encourage parents and caregivers to let their kids enjoy their safe candy choices under supervision, particularly for younger kids. Try collecting your children\u2019s candy and having them ask for it when they want some, so you\u2019ll know when to keep an eye out.<\/p>\n

What else should I look out for at Halloween?<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t forget about another choking risk that\u2019s common at Halloween: young kids putting small non-food items in their mouths.<\/p>\n

When you dump out your child\u2019s trick-or-treat bucket or party favor bag, how many little plastic spiders, ghost erasers, Halloween rings and other toys and trinkets do you find? Additionally, remember that lots of seasonal decor comes with small parts that might be a hazard.<\/p>\n

Children up to age 4 or 5 are at the\u00a0highest risk of choking<\/a> in the first place because of their development and anatomy, and they\u2019re also the most likely to put little things in their mouths.<\/p>\n

How can I reduce the risk of my kids choking?<\/h2>\n

In addition to the preventive tips above, we recommend parents consider adding The Dechoker anti-choking device to your family\u2019s first-aid kit.<\/p>\n

Using The Dechoker<\/a> on a choking person is as simple as applying the facemask and pulling back on the plunger, which creates suction that can clear the person\u2019s airway in just seconds.\u00a0Available in sizes<\/a> for toddlers, children and adults, this innovative, life-saving device brings peace of mind at Halloween and year-round. We wish your family a happy and safe Halloween and holiday season!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The witching hour nears! Halloween can be one of the most fun, memorable times of the year as costumed families head out into their neighborhoods for parties and trick-or-treating. Here at Dechoker, we find the occasion a good opportunity to remind caregivers about the dangers of choking on candy, snack foods and other risks that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_trash_the_other_posts":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4139"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4298,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4139\/revisions\/4298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dechoker.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}