Jawbreakers and other hard, round candies (such as bon-bons, cough drops and spherical lollipops) can be lethal if inhaled (between or below the vocal cords); or if swallowed (by compressing the airway from behind). Flat lollipops are safer.
In the United States, hard candies are one of the leading causes of choking.[Ref:1]
Soft chewing gum can also be a choking hard, but is less likely to be lethal.
The presence of older siblings in the household increases the risk for choking, possibly because toys and other objects with small parts are more likely to be present and caregiving activities, such as feeding, to be undertaken by older siblings.[Ref:44]