Trick or treat? Here’s how to avoid drug-laced candy on Halloween

Is that a Kit Kat bar or a Kif Kat bar? A Milky Way or Munchy Way? Skippy peanut butter or Trippy peanut butter?

When it comes to the sugary loot children across Los Angeles will be collecting for Halloween, police say parents should take some common sense steps to make sure what their young charges haul in is more treat than trick.

Though it’s rare, occasionally police do encounter a case of a child receiving tainted or drug-laced candy, said LAPD Det. William Bustos. Here are a few things parents can do to make sure the candy is safe to eat.

• All fruit should be cut and examined.
• Homemade treats should come from only someone the children and parents know.
• Make sure candy comes in its original, sealed packaging. Anything with holes or that appears tampered with should be discarded.
• Look for tell-tale signs that a candy is laced with marijuana. The packaging may look like a commercial brand candy but might have green packaging, a marijuana leaf emblem or the word “medicinal” somewhere on it. Drinks may also appear similar to sodas like Mountain Dew. Marijuana-laced candy includes goldfish and gummy bears.

Despite all the fears about tainted food products, in reality, the greater danger for kids on Halloween is vehicle traffic. Twice as many children are hit by a car walking on Halloween than any other day of the year, police said.

And authorities have warned that a rainstorm expected to arrive Friday evening -- the first widespread rain event in months -- will make roadways even more dangerous.

Children should wear a bright-colored costume, always walk with a parent and trick-or-treat during daylight hours. If there’s trick-or-treating at night, parents should carry a flashlight and walk in familiar areas.

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