Beware the dangers of Halloween, US parents are warned

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2007

WASHINGTON (AFP) — As some 36 million costumed American children prepare to take to the streets of towns and cities around the United States to trick or treat, officials issued stark warnings about the dark side of Halloween.

Horror stories about costumes that go up in flames as a child walks past a Jack O'Lantern, or of sweet buckets and drink mugs with excessive levels of lead, have been making the rounds, justifiably scaring the heebie-geebies out of parents.

Earlier this month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 63,000 green plastic Frankenstein cups because they contained scarily high levels of lead.

Then last week, 42,000 skull-shaped, candy-filled plastic buckets were pulled from shop shelves. And on Thursday, more than 140,000...