We all know NEVER to take candy from strangers. This is quite sensible advice. You don’t know where the candy is from, where its been, how clean it is. Seriously, Pick and Mix sweets are very unhygienic. And kids? You know not to talk to strangers anyway don’t you?
But sensible precautions can quickly morph into urban legends. When I was at primary school in Scotland we were warned that “older children” might offer us crisps (potato chips) and that these could be laced with drugs. Later we were told that we would be offered stickers, also laced with LSD. There is no account of this ever actually happening.
And the old razor blades and poison in Halloween candy? Well, Snopes.com have cleared that one up. It’s false. A few rare instances have occurred of poisoned Halloween candy but the perpetrator has never been a stranger (which is far creepier in my opinion).
But urban legends refuse to die and spawn new variations. The Frisky reports a new spin. Coffee in Thailand laced with something that leads to “sudden, unstoppable sexual excitement”. Yikes! The tone of the report originating in the Bangkok Post suggests an urban legend and social panic. There is no drug known to cause those symptoms!
But urban legends are like modern fairy tales. There’s a lesson to learn. This one is fairly straightforward. And applies to all the above poisonings. There are BAD people out there. Be on your guard! And although the spiked coffee sounds like an urban legend, drinks do get spiked so take precautions. Follow this advice from the Metropolitan Police.
