Halloween Safety Tips

Trick-or-treaters

• Wear makeup instead of a mask. This will allow you to see and be aware of everything going on around you while walking house to house.
• Wear reflective clothing.
• Wear sure your costume does not drag on the ground so you don’t trip.
• Wear comfortable shoes, even if they don’t go with your costume.
• It is safer to carry flexible props (e.g. magic wands, swords).
• Wear a watch you can read in the dark.
• Carry a flashlight so you can see where you are going.
• Walk, don’t run.
• Stay in familiar neighborhoods.
• Stay on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic.
• Do not cut across yards or driveways.
• Obey traffic signals and give traffic the right of way.
• Only approach houses that have the outside lights turned on.
• Stay away from pets you don’t know.
• Trick-or-treat in groups.
• Never enter a stranger’s home or car for a treat.

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Parents

• Ensure that your child eats dinner before setting out.
• Discuss with your children what they should do to call home in case of emergency.
• Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
• If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark.
• If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame retardant material.
• Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home.
• Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything. Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.
• Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones.
• Pets get frightened on Halloween; put them inside to protect them from cars or inadvertently biting a trick-or-treater.
• Battery powered Jack-O-Lantern candles are preferable to a real flame.
• Place pumpkins and decorations out of reach of children.
• Healthy food alternatives for trick-or-treaters include packages of low-fat crackers with cheese filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisins and single-serve packets of low-fat microwave popcorn.
• Refrain from handing out treats that contain peanuts or peanut butter, as many children are allergic.