GREENSBORO, N.C. (WFMY)-- Little Ava is handing out candy today, but on Halloween she'll be the one filling her basket. Her mom Amanda is vigilant about making sure it's safe.
"We always check through it before she gets to it. So we go through first. We make sure that if there's anything she has an allergy to, we remove that and then we go from there," said Amanda.
Greensboro Police said it's something every parent should be doing. Also, look for an unusual appearance and tiny pinholes in the wrapper or candy.
"Any candy that appears to be unwrapped or the wrappers come apart or dislodged from the candy, we want to go ahead and discard it and make sure that they actually look through all of the candy," said Lieutenant Ernest Cuthbertson with the Greensboro Police Department.
Recently, police in Georgia found meth that looks like candy. It's a prime example of why it's better to be safe than sorry.
"What I do is I'll take the bags that they have it in and I actually pour it out on my table and I look through it, make sure that everything is still sealed. If it's not sealed or I feel like it has been tampered with, then we throw it away. I always put safety first," said Triad mom, Latoya Dawson.
For very young children, remove any choking hazards like gum or hard candies. Police say you should also go trick-or-treating in groups, use sidewalks and watch out for traffic.
They suggest bringing a flashlight and make sure your child's costume is visible.