halloween candy controversy

[pugz]

this article is being posted all over my FB, about fair trade chocolate and child labor issues.

www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2012/10/the-inconvenient-truth-about-your.html

Does this in any way affect what you'll hand out to ToTers if you pass out candy?

I'm considering non-candy options like goldfish crackers, mostly so we won't get a bunch of leftover candy as we get less than a dozen kids coming by.

[ohgillian]

Actually, I read an article like this last year, and it did change my behavior. I bought stickers and pencils to give out instead of chocolate candy.

[MamaMaui24]

I love the PvZ link someone posted in the comments!

www.stopzombiemouth.com/

[Deleted]

I'm not giving out chocolate and most of the chocolate we buy for at home is fair trade.

I hope people who get outraged over this are equally as outraged about bananas, sugar, clothing, and countless other day to day items that involve deplorable working conditions.

[treedimensional]

I just buy a bunch of chocolate candy. It is usually name brand stuff like Mars, Nestle, Hershey, etc. I buy that because that is the stuff that is most wanted by kids, and IMO Halloween is all about kids getting the candy they want. It's not what I want; otherwise I wouldn't be buying ANY candy... I don't eat it. It's one day a year so I don't make it a political decision.

[jm1982]

well, we're in a walk-up so there are never trick-or-treaters here.

we don't buy everything fair trade (although truthfully, i can't think of the last time DH or I bought any clothing at all), but i do make sure to buy fair trade chocolate and bananas.

[vanillacourage]

We get hundreds of trick or treaters. I don't get the cheapcheapcheap candy but I'm also not going to go buy TJ's 95% cacao fair trade delicacy stuff. Sorry, no.

[mbcdefg]

I'd like to do this (and maybe I will take a look in Whole Foods before Halloween to see what they have) ... but, like papiercherri said, there are so many other everyday things out there that are made by people under awful working conditions.

I feel torn between "Well, I have to start somewhere to make a difference" versus "I'm a hypocrite if I'm all gung-ho about chocolate but I don't apply the same care to every other product in my life."

[anna7602]

We gave out packs of Annie's Gummy Bunnies last year and will likely do the same this year (I am flying home for Halloween). There's not really any ToT where I live in NY, but kids from the co-op building will sometimes ring the bell, so I wanted to have something.

[papie]

The kids will hate you. I can only imagine the disappointment in my 5yo's face if someone handed her goldfish crackers.

[dexteroni]

I would say that over half of the chocolate I buy for myself is fair trade (sometimes you just need a Reese's cup), but I'm not planning on buying fair trade Halloween candy. And I'm not planning on giving a non-candy alternate. And if you're trying to avoid unfair labor practices, then you better do the research to make sure they haven't been used in whatever you do give.

ETA: Just to be clear, I'm certainly not criticizing anyone who wants to avoid child labor or other unfair labor or trade practices. Just be consistent. Giving something that may or may not have been manufactured by Chinese or Sri Lankan children is no better than giving child labor chocolate.

[dexteroni]

Oct 16, 2012 8:59:00 GMT -5 ohgillian said:

Actually, I read an article like this last year, and it did change my behavior. I bought stickers and pencils to give out instead of chocolate candy.

How did you find out what kind of labor practices were used to make them?

[anna7602]

Also, this just made me double-check the chocolate reserve I have in the kitchen cabinet. It's all made in Switzerland or Belgium and certified organic by the European Union. I am going to assume that means no one was exploited in its production.

[cookies]

I am embarrassed to say that I never thought about where my chocolate comes from. I guess I won't be buying the giant bag of assorted Reeses chocolate (for my own personal consumption) this weekend after all.

Can we all pass out Starbursts instead? A little red #5 never hurt anyone.

[frlcb]

Oct 16, 2012 9:45:52 GMT -5 papie said:

The kids will hate you. I can only imagine the disappointment in my 5yo's face if someone handed her goldfish crackers.

Or a pencil or sticker. Those get lost in our house, never to be used or seen again.

[audette]

Oct 16, 2012 9:50:03 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Also, this just made me double-check the chocolate reserve I have in the kitchen cabinet. It's all made in Switzerland or Belgium and certified organic by the European Union. I am going to assume that means no one was exploited in its production.

Not neccessarily. The european chocolate I have bought when over there has a label to indicate fair trade if it is (I will certainly admit that not all chocolate I buy is fair trade, but a couple brands I am partial to have switched over to 100% fair trade, and, surprisingly, didn't go up much in price...). Some brands are now all/mostly fair trade, but they still were labelling each individual package last time I visited.

[caramia17]

I am a dentist and it is bad form to give out candy for ToTers ("Are you drumming up business?!?!?!"). We usually do temporary tattoos. Now I am worried about where they are from/how they are manufactured.

We do not give out toothbrushes as that is a sure way to get your house egged.

[CloudBee]

I usually give out glow sticks that I buy in bulk from Amazon. It's always a huge hit. I hear kids walking away from my door saying "wow, awesome, she gave us gloooow sticks!"

I should check to see if I can find some that are made in the USA.

[dcannie]

Oct 16, 2012 11:09:36 GMT -5 caramia17 said:

I am a dentist and it is bad form to give out candy for ToTers ("Are you drumming up business?!?!?!"). We usually do temporary tattoos. Now I am worried about where they are from/how they are manufactured.

We do not give out toothbrushes as that is a sure way to get your house egged.

do people really give you shit about handing out candy on a day when EVERYONE is fucking handing out candy? people are dumb. i wouldn't think twice about my dentist giving out candy on halloween.

[Deleted]

Oct 16, 2012 11:09:36 GMT -5 caramia17 said:

I am a dentist and it is bad form to give out candy for ToTers ("Are you drumming up business?!?!?!"). We usually do temporary tattoos. Now I am worried about where they are from/how they are manufactured.

We do not give out toothbrushes as that is a sure way to get your house egged.

Speaking of bad form, my old dentist always had cookies, sweet tea, and soda available to every customer in the waiting room.

That is odd, no? I always thought it was some kind of test. When I took something I fully expected them to jump and be "aha! this is why you have cavities!"

[winnied]

I'll buy regular chocolate. I don't research every product that comes into my home for their trade practices and I'm not going to pretend I'm some awesome crusader when Halloween comes around. It's great if other people do it but I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

[rubytue]

We get too many kids to splurge on fair trade. And I can't say I feel too guilty about it. I should. I try. But not for halloween.

Now I feel guilty.

[caramia17]

Oct 16, 2012 11:13:43 GMT -5 dcannie said:

Oct 16, 2012 11:09:36 GMT -5 caramia17 said:

I am a dentist and it is bad form to give out candy for ToTers ("Are you drumming up business?!?!?!"). We usually do temporary tattoos. Now I am worried about where they are from/how they are manufactured.

We do not give out toothbrushes as that is a sure way to get your house egged.

do people really give you shit about handing out candy on a day when EVERYONE is fucking handing out candy? people are dumb. i wouldn't think twice about my dentist giving out candy on halloween.

You would be surprised how many buttinskys really say something about this. I have given up. I used to do yummy dark chocolate AND toothbrushes and people would still say crap about it. Doesn't really matter to me and keeps the peace.

We also do a candy exchange at my work where kids can bring in their candy and we donate it to US Military overseas and we give them toys/gift cards. That is popular.

[vanillacourage]

Oct 16, 2012 11:12:53 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I usually give out glow sticks that I buy in bulk from Amazon. It's always a huge hit. I hear kids walking away from my door saying "wow, awesome, she gave us gloooow sticks!"

I should check to see if I can find some that are made in the USA.

This is actually an awesome idea.....I may look this up from either Amazon or Oriental Trading Co. Our neighborhood doesn't have great street lights and I do worry about the kids, so double-bonus.

[CloudBee]

Oct 16, 2012 11:31:34 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Oct 16, 2012 11:12:53 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I usually give out glow sticks that I buy in bulk from Amazon. It's always a huge hit. I hear kids walking away from my door saying "wow, awesome, she gave us gloooow sticks!"

I should check to see if I can find some that are made in the USA.

This is actually an awesome idea.....I may look this up from either Amazon or Oriental Trading Co. Our neighborhood doesn't have great street lights and I do worry about the kids, so double-bonus.

Here's the link. Just shy of $9 for 100 sticks, and free shipping. I usually crack about 25 at a time, and make half bracelets with the adapters.

I let each kid take a few. They always freak out.

www.amazon.com/LumiStick-Brand-Glowsticks-Bracelets-Colors/dp/B000IZ9N78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350405982&sr=8-1&keywords=100+glow+sticks

[caramia17]

Oct 16, 2012 11:13:43 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

Oct 16, 2012 11:09:36 GMT -5 caramia17 said:

I am a dentist and it is bad form to give out candy for ToTers ("Are you drumming up business?!?!?!"). We usually do temporary tattoos. Now I am worried about where they are from/how they are manufactured.

We do not give out toothbrushes as that is a sure way to get your house egged.

Speaking of bad form, my old dentist always had cookies, sweet tea, and soda available to every customer in the waiting room.

That is odd, no? I always thought it was some kind of test. When I took something I fully expected them to jump and be "aha! this is why you have cavities!"

This cracked me up. Yes, that is odd. Particularly the sugared beverages.

I would be far to paranoid to take a cookie. This would be like your trainer having donuts or whatever.

I am actually not a general dentist and don't deal with cavities, but nonetheless, I get comments anytime I offer sweets, etc. even at a party in my home.

[fortmyersbride]

Oct 16, 2012 11:31:34 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

Oct 16, 2012 11:12:53 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I usually give out glow sticks that I buy in bulk from Amazon. It's always a huge hit. I hear kids walking away from my door saying "wow, awesome, she gave us gloooow sticks!"

I should check to see if I can find some that are made in the USA.

This is actually an awesome idea.....I may look this up from either Amazon or Oriental Trading Co. Our neighborhood doesn't have great street lights and I do worry about the kids, so double-bonus.

Such an awesome idea! I already bought a ton of candy, but now I'm going to buy these to toss in as well. I can give out the leftover candy at work, I've already bought it.

[nonsenseabound]

We did glow sticks one year and they were a big hit. I had them leftover from my bday.

[AJL]

Oct 16, 2012 10:04:22 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Oct 16, 2012 9:45:52 GMT -5 papie said:

The kids will hate you. I can only imagine the disappointment in my 5yo's face if someone handed her goldfish crackers.

Or a pencil or sticker. Those get lost in our house, never to be used or seen again.

I'll trade all the candy we get for those. My kids LOVE pencils, stickers, and Goldfish crackers. The only candy DS likes are Dum Dums.

[dexteroni]

Oct 16, 2012 12:15:41 GMT -5 @barefootbarista said:

Ok, I just bought the glow sticks and the glow in the dark bouncy balls. 100 glowsticks and 48 bouncy balls for under 18 bucks.

Are they fair trade or US-manufactured? If so, can you post the link or the name of the store where you found them?