Despite a lack of evidence, urban legends about drug-laced Halloween candy keep circulating, aided by feckless reporters. This year, it's "rainbow fentanyl" that has the press repeating unfounded tales of deadly drugs disguised as candy.
While the narrative around rainbow fentanyl and children—that drug dealers are selling brightly colored pills to appeal to kids, or even worse, getting them hooked on the drug by hiding it in Halloween candy—is bunk, journalists just won't stop peddling the story. This week, it was Good Morning America that repeated myths about rainbow fentanyl's appeal to trick-or-treaters this Halloween. While it is irresponsible to present a misleading story to an audience, recent stories about rainbow fentanyl are particularly reckless because of their potential to provoke widespread, baseless panic among parents.
