Have a Safe Halloween

By Roland Larrabee, M.D.

There are a few simple tricks to follow which will help ensure a safe and happy Halloween. With recent events as they are, it seems prudent to take some extra precautions.

Make sure your child can walk and move about freely in their costume to avoid tripping or becoming entangled. Purchase or create a flame-retardant costume, which is large enough to allow warm clothing underneath. Avoid jack-o-lanterns illuminated by candles to prevent catching one's clothes on fire. Also, avoid wood or metal props (e.g., swords or wands) to prevent personal injury.

Use light colors and reflective tape on your costumes to make your child more visible at night. Give your child a flashlight or "glow-stick" for additional protection. Walk on sidewalks or grass, and don't dart between parked vehicles. Cross the street only from corners or crosswalks, and obey all traffic signals.

If your child wears a mask, make sure the eye, nose, and mouth holes are large and allow adequate vision and ventilation. Fasten caps and accessories with Velcro rather than ties to avoid choking. Makeup is safer than masks.

Always trick-or-treat in a group, and have a supervising adult or older teenager with you. Do not accept treats from strangers walking by, and stay away from passing automobiles whose occupants urge you to come over to the vehicle. Visit only well lit homes that are clearly celebrating Halloween. Don't stay out late, and stick to an acceptable curfew.