A three-year-old girl has been taken to hospital in Victoria after she ate a drug that became mixed in with lollies while out trick or treating.
The three-year-old, Abby Van Der Spuy, was enjoying the Halloween festivities in Bacchus Marsh, northwest of Melbourne, when the incident occurred.
Victoria Police said she became ill while trick or treating on Halletts Way in the town just after 8pm yesterday.
The little girl’s mother Tara Robe noticed Abby was not well and an ambulance was called, with the child taken to hospital for observation.
Her mother told Nine the child was “zonked and wobbly on her feet”.
“I thought she was choking on the lolly. Then she showed me a packet of tablets and I went, these don’t look like lollies,” Ms Robe told the Herald Sun. “I felt anxiety, sick in the belly.”
Abby is now in Sunshine Hospital in a stable condition.
In a statement, Victoria Police said: “Investigators have been told that the child may have ingested a prescription medication and are currently making inquiries as to how this happened.
“At this stage in the early investigation, it is not believed there is any malicious intent surrounding this incident.”
Channel 7 reported the drug was seroquel which is used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It may have become mixed up with other sweets and lollies the child was collecting. The girl’s parents said the incident was a warning to other mums and dads in the area to check their child’s Halloween stash.
Police are investigating but do not have reports of any similar incidents.
