Halloween Safety
At Home and on the Street

Celebrating Halloween with costumes, decorations, and trick-or-treating can be a lot of fun for the entire family! You will undoubtedly see and do things during Halloween that (fortunately) you will not see or do any other time of the year. Here are some suggestions to keep the celebration safe and healthy to ensure it remains fun for everyone.

First, pre-plan for both your house and your kids. Bright and reflective costumes will reduce the tire marks from drivers not seeing 'Halloweeners.' use non-toxic, hypoallergenic makeup instead of full-faced masks to prevent vision and breathing problems. Wigs and costumes should also be flame-retardant. Too many children and adults end up in burn units from pranks and ill-suited costumes.

Halloween safety tips for adults:

Outdoor decorations can be really cool, but remember, you will have children running across your yard. If you plan to be visited by extra-terrestrials, goblins, monsters, royalty, and superheroes, remember these children cannot actually fly. Unless, of course, they are flying over your yard stuff from not seeing them. Keep your decorations lit or in non-pedestrian areas (such as front lawns and culverts) to reduce potential lawsuits and prevent injuries. Other items you may need help to think of include flower pots, garden hoses, low tree limbs or roots, and other house and yard items.

Find accessories for costumes that are flexible and soft. Knives, sticks, swords, and guns - even play ones - can pose life-threatening hazards if your child falls on them or gets killed in some neighborhoods or business areas if the weapon looks real.

For the main event, have a route or location already established. Many malls now offer a safe environment and costume contests for children, as do other organizations. Make sure you have suitable batteries for flashlights. Feed your children a good meal before going out to reduce the sugar-meal syndrome when returning with all their goodies.

Halloween pet safety:

Act responsibly with your pets. Try not to put them outside or in a high-visibility area. It scares the daylights out of the 'Halloweeners' and can make your pet more aggressive as it believes it is under attack by strange beings. Keeping your pet indoors will also reduce the risk of the pet being attacked or injured by someone.

And finally, the essential Halloween safety list:

• Warn your children about entering people's homes or vehicles.
• Keep your kids from using bicycles, rollerblades, or skateboards.
• Keep younger children from going alone and, if possible, go in 'herds' or groups.

What works well for the kids and the homeowners?: Don't let your children eat anything incorrectly wrapped. Only go to homes with the outside or porch light on.

This is obviously not an all-inclusive list. You can search the internet for "Halloween safety" for more suggestions. Halloween can be fun. Keeping it safe for adults, children, and pets will provide a positive experience for everyone!