Police: Excedrin pill found in 'Smarties' candy in Andover

ANDOVER, Ohio - Andover police said they received a report of a generic Excedrin Migraine pill with the marking L430 found inside a "Smarties" candy by a trick-or-treater Wednesday.

Andover parent Krystal Drum said she was livid when her 13-year-old son found the Excedrin migraine pill in his "Smarties" brand Halloween candy Wednesday night.

"It makes me sick that somebody would do something like this, that they would try to ruin something for the kids," she said.

Drum said her three children had been out trick-or-treating with their father. Before she allowed them to eat any of the candy, she checked every piece.
 
"Checking like the Smarties, I even checked those to make sure they appeared to be closed at the twisted ends," Drum explained.

She'd just given her kids the thumbs up when her 13-year-old spotted the pill inside the candy wrapper.

"Then my 13-year-old was standing in the living room and he said, 'mom, there was a pill in there.'"

The pill resembled the candy so closely that it almost went unnoticed. Police Chief Randy Gentry said as a child he heard of people putting things in candy to hurt children, but it's never been this close to home.

"As parents, we just need to watch we do have to understand that these kids are going to strangers doors they are getting candy we need to be as parents a little cautious," he said.

Meanwhile, Drum is relieved the person's plan to hurt someone's child didn't work, and that police are aware that they're out there.

"I'm just very thankful that my 13-year-old saw it and knew better than to have my younger two children find it and not know and consume it," she said.

Andover police said they've had one report like this, but their hope is to get the news out there for other communities celebrating Halloween this weekend. They advise paying special attention to Halloween candy and continue to check packaging of all candies for any possible tampering.