Towns spark debate after setting a controversial age limit for Halloween trick-or-treaters
Several towns have an age limit for who's allowed to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.
What age did you stop dressing up, grabbing your pumpkin-shaped bag and heading door-to-door to knock for a trick or a treat? Or perhaps you've never stopped at all.
Alas, a few towns in the US set a limit on what they deem a suitable age range to go out and collect sweets on Halloween and another has recently followed suit.
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Chesapeake in Virginia first set an age limit for trick-or-treaters back in 1970, setting the cut off age at 12 years old before raising it up slightly higher to 14 in 2019.
Originally, if anyone above the limit decided to don a costume and go hunting for sweets anyway, they risked facing jail time, however, that penalty was removed in 2019 and no one's actually ever been reprimanded that severely, Asbury Park Press reports.
In 2017, Pennsauken in Camden County revealed it would also be banning kids above the age of 14 from taking part in going door-to-door on Halloween, releasing an update on its website reading: "Trick or treating is for kids, not adults. Anyone over the age of 14 cannot go out trick or treating, unless you’re acting as a chaperone.
"And unfortunately, chaperones can’t ask for any candy or treats. They have to wait until they get home to help their kids 'sort' the candy."
Another town also in New Jersey has also since issued guidance on trick-or-treater's age range.
Upper Deerfield Township in Cumberland County have also stated that children older than 12 shouldn't be going out trick-or-treating.
It's important to note the age limit is not a law, rule or regulation but a suggestion, and it's reported that it's not harshly enforced, however, that doesn't mean the suggestion of an age limit hasn't sparked heated debate on social media.
One Twitter user said: "Idk if this is a hot take or whatever but there should not be an age limit on trick or treating!! wtf!! just let people enjoy halloween goddamn!!"
"There's no age limit on trick or treating. You can knock on my door with a martini and a smoldering Pall Mall in your old-looking hands and I'm gonna give you a Snickers. Happy Halloween," a second added.
A third commented: "Age limit? Why? If someone 40 were to dress up in costume and come trick or treating would you deny them a piece of candy? However I do require some effort, if they aren’t in costume they aren’t trick or treaters."
"I had a group of high school kids one year, in Baltimore, who all had instruments and played for their treats. I thought they were awesome," a fourth said.
However, some agreed with the limit.
One user argued: "It becomes a safety issue in some areas. I’d never open my door for an adult at night."
"I understand your point about safety issues, but most of those kids going house to house also have adults with them," another replied.
And a final resolved: "I feel like saying it is okay for teenagers to trick-or-treat at my house is not going far enough. Like, if you are 30 and you need to trick-or-treat here, sure. 74, no problem.
"I may offer you wine and pumpkin bread, but fine, yes, the world is on fire, share my food."
So what do you think?
Topics: Food and Drink, Halloween, US News, Social Media, Community
Poppy Bilderbeck