A website devoted to the study of the human condition

Halloween Treat Is a Deadly Trick

 

"Trick or treat!"  That's the phrase we tell our children to say, but what if someone takes them literally?  Tricks can be quite deadly.

Your children may want to be very cautious when saying "Trick or Treat" this weekend, as they could end up the unwilling victim of a deadly trick. A form of tattoo called "Blue Star" may be handed out as a Halloween treat. They resemble postage stamps in size and contain the pictures of Superman, Mickey Mouse, Clowns and Bart Simpson. If your child receives any of these in their Halloween goodies, DO NOT HANDLE THEM. These tattoos are soaked in LSD and some are laced with strychnine (rat poison).

If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms, consult your physician immediately:

Hallucinations, severe vomiting, uncontrolled laughter, severe mood changes or extreme changes in body temperature.

How completely horrifying it would be to have one of our children end up addicted to LSD or worse yet, dead from the strychnine!

If you agree whole-heartedly with the previous statement, we have a few things to teach you about Lysergic Diethyl-amide Acid (LSD).

1) LSD is not generally laced with strychnine.  I have been told that it is used to "base-out" (or make more alkaline) the acid so it won't burn.  But wouldn't lye be easier to use, cheaper and less deadly? 

2) Casual handling of LSD soaked "blotter" paper is not an issue.  While LSD can be absorbed through the skin, a fair amount of moisture and prolonged contact would be necessary for absorption.

3) LSD is not addictive.  Most drugs categorized as having addictive properties effect the release or re-uptake of the neurotransmitters Dopamine (DA) and/or Norephinephrine (NE).  Drugs in this category include cocaine, and the amphetamine class of stimulants (i.e.; benzedrine and the ever addictive methylphenidate [ritalin]).   LSD, on the other hand, works by mimicking serotonin (5-HT), the neurotransmitter involved in sleep and dreams, which may explain the dream-like images sometimes seen when under the influence of the drug.

4) LSD is extremely difficult to overdose on.  The quantity of LSD needed to suffer irreparable damage or death is quite high.  It would be difficult to overdose on blotter paper due to the low dosage of each "tab" (only several hundred micrograms of LSD per tab).  The only "easy" way to overdose on LSD is to consume a large quantity of it in it's liquid form.  The main danger associated with LSD use is the unexpected and irradic behavior sometimes experienced during a "trip."   Persons under the influence of this drug experience distortions of reality and judgement, so accidents, sometimes fatal accidents, will occur.

So is there really any reason to fear becoming a victim?

No!

"The 'Blue Star' LSD tattoo warning is a classic urban legend - it has been terrorizing parents, fooling journalists, bewildering authorities and delighting urban legend researchers for about twenty years.

It is an example of a 'contamination' legend, in a class with others such as the 'Spider eggs in Bubble Yum' legend. But it is also part of the growing ranks of 'xeroxlore' or 'faxlore' like the 'send a dying boy postcards' plea and the new variant 'emailore' often of a similar bent.

Popular folklore chronicler Jan Harold Brunvand devoted a chapter of his book The Choking Doberman and other 'New' Urban Legends to the 'Mickey Mouse Acid' scare, and has revisited the legend in later books.

The legend has picked up new virulence and new credibility through the internet, where it has appeared on mailing lists, newsgroups and web pages.

In a typical outbreak, a school, hospital, or police station will get a copy of a photocopied flyer warning that LSD-laden lick-and-stick tattoo transfers are being given to children in local schoolyards. The details in the warning typically include:

• A new type of temporary tattoo called 'Blue Star' is being sold or given away to school children.
• The stars, which are about the size of pencil erasers, contain LSD and are designed to be removed and ingested.
• This form of LSD-laced tattoo is available all over the country.
• LSD can be absorbed through the skin by handling the tattoos.
• Other LSD-containing tattoos, resembling postage stamps, also exist, depicting:
  • Superman
  • Butterflies
  • Clowns
  • Bart Simpson
  • Mickey Mouse
  • Disney characters in general
  • Red Pyramids
• Other varieties include 'micro dot' in various colors and 'Window Pane' (or 'Window Pain').
• These drugs are packaged in a red cardboard box wrapped in foil.
• This use of cartoon characters is a new way of selling acid by appealing to young children.
• Dealers or older children give these drugs to younger children either for kicks or to hook new customers.
• These drugs are known to react very quickly and some are laced with strychnine.
• These tattoos could cause a 'fatal 'trip' in children.
• Many children have already died from accidental ingestion of these tattoos.
• Symptoms you might see in children who have encountered these tattoos include hallucinations, severe vomiting, uncontrolled laughter, mood changes, and changes in body temperature.
• This warning has been authorized by the authorities, such as:
  • Beth Israel Medical Center in New York
  • The Cumberland County Sheriff's Department
  • The Police Department
  • The PTA of Willow Tree Day Care Center
  • J. O'Donnel of Danbury Hospital's Outpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment Service
  • El Hospital de Saint Roch
  • La Brigada de Estupefacientes
  • Der Waadtländer Polizei
  • The Valley Children's Hospital
  • Die New Yorker Polizei
  • La Brigada Francesa de Estupefacientes
  • Mr. Guy Chaill? Advisor to the President
  • The Sputnik Drug Information Zone
• You should contact the police if you see these tattoos.
• You should spread the word of this danger far and wide. "

(The Blue Star LSD Tattoo Urban Legend Page, [1])

Thousands of people worldwide have been taken in by this bogus warning. The "blue star" legend was created out of and is driven by our collective fears.  Fears brought on and nourished by the media, mixed with a little ignorance and a lot of good intentions.

If you really want to be concerned about an addictive drug that approximately 1 out of every 4 American students are being "slipped" on a daily basis, check out the statistics on Ritalin!

-The Folklorist

==================================================

the URL for this page is

http://thefolklorist.com/bluestar.htm

==================================================

[1] Blue Star LSD Tattoo Urban Legend Page

San Fernando Valley Folklore Society

AFU Archive

urbanlegends.About.com