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Comments by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

I actually sketched out four Halloween comics -- and scrapped them all -- before coming up with this one. The challenging part is demonstrating the negative health effects of sugar without having to explain them. Of course, I don't think sugar has ever turned anyone green, but it does make kids crazy, aggressive and more than a bit frightening. It also rots out their teeth, as illustrated here.

Sugar consumption also seems to disproportionately affect young boys vs. young girls. That's why this comic shows the young boy out of control from sugar consumption while his sister remains calm and cool-headed.

Halloween is the strangest holiday of them all (and they're all a bit strange, mind you). Children dress up as dead people then run around collecting free candy that makes them obese, diabetic and neurotic. Halloween has been completely taken over by corporations, who depend on the holiday for as much as 50 percent of their annual sales of candy products, most of which are made from various metabolic poisons such as hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup.

Adults actually condone all of this and serve as tour guides, leading their children around to strangers' homes, collecting whatever they hand out, and actually allowing their children to eat it! At any other time of the year, adults handing out something to little children would be arrested, but on Halloween, it's all normal.

It all goes to show you the power of reframing. Dress up like a terrorist and run around ringing peoples' doorbells on any other day of the year, and you'll get arrested and shipped off to Guantanamo. But do it on Halloween and everybody smiles and compliments you on the authenticity of your costume.

For all you adults reading this: If you're going to participate in this demented holiday, at least have the decency to give out something healthy. Nut mixes or trail mixes are a good idea. You can also go green on 'em -- give the little kids tiny bunches of wheat grass and I guarantee they won't bother you next year. Just don't stuff the kids with any more sugar, artificial colors and hydrogenated oils. They're already being poisoned by everybody else on the block. There's no need to add to it.

And for goodness sake, parents: Don't let your children participate in this mass poisoning event. You wouldn't let your kids eat anything handed to them by strangers on any other day of the year. Why allow it on Halloween? Dressing up in costume is great fun, but do it with friends and family, and skip the candy route.

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