Check your treats on Halloween to avoid any tricks
By Jacob Comer
When I was a kid going out trick-or-treating, my parents always made sure that my siblings and I were safe. They usually gave us costumes that didn’t have masks so we could see clearly. The one year I wore a ninja mask, I couldn’t see out of it very well at all. We learned from that experience.
My parents also stayed with us all night while we were out and they always looked through our candy to make sure nothing was tampered with. I was always saddened when they threw out the popcorn balls and other homemade treats we got, but I understood it was for our safety.
This Halloween, roughly 41 million children are expected to go trick-or-treating, according to the United States Census Bureau, and 65 percent of parents don’t discuss Halloween safety with their kids. There are several things that could cause a Halloween night to turn sour: food allergies, lost children, traffic accidents and many more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website features several articles on different ways to be safe on Halloween. Monongalia County Health Department’s Environmental Health program heartily endorses these measures.
About 1 in 13 children have a food allergy, and many popular candies contain some of these allergens, like peanuts and chocolate. To avoid incidents with food allergens, check your child’s candy when you get home and don’t let them eat anything when you’re still out and about. As well, if you are distributing candy, try to include several types of candy that don’t have common allergens. Fun-size Snicker bars are awesome, but they do contain peanuts.
Also, when your kids are out for the night, try to stay with them if they are young. If you believe they are old enough to go out alone or with friends, give them a flashlight so they can easily find their way around if it gets too dark. A flashlight also lets motorists see them more easily. Put reflective tape on your kid’s costumes so they can be easily seen. Plan a specific route to take for trick-or-treating; being lost is not something you want on your Halloween night.
One of the most important factors to be wary about on Halloween is the expected motorist and pedestrian traffic. With millions of children going out on the same night and all at around the same time, foot traffic can get pretty intense, and children are twice as likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident on Halloween. Be cautious when driving and watch out for children trying to cross the street. As kids go to various houses for trick-or-treating, they’ll be crossing roads often.
Also, 52 percent of motor vehicle deaths on Halloween involve alcohol. Halloween parties are common and so is alcohol at those parties. Be sure to drive responsibly to avoid accidents and to never drink and drive.
Managing both safety and fun on Halloween is easily doable as long as you plan accordingly. Make sure any candy your kids get is safe for them to eat, keep track of your kids and make sure they don’t get lost especially if they are young and be careful to avoid traffic incidents. If you take all these factors into account, then Halloween is much more likely to go wickedly well.
My parents also stayed with us all night while we were out and they always looked through our candy to make sure nothing was tampered with. I was always saddened when they threw out the popcorn balls and other homemade treats we got, but I understood it was for our safety.
This Halloween, roughly 41 million children are expected to go trick-or-treating, according to the United States Census Bureau, and 65 percent of parents don’t discuss Halloween safety with their kids. There are several things that could cause a Halloween night to turn sour: food allergies, lost children, traffic accidents and many more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website features several articles on different ways to be safe on Halloween. Monongalia County Health Department’s Environmental Health program heartily endorses these measures.
About 1 in 13 children have a food allergy, and many popular candies contain some of these allergens, like peanuts and chocolate. To avoid incidents with food allergens, check your child’s candy when you get home and don’t let them eat anything when you’re still out and about. As well, if you are distributing candy, try to include several types of candy that don’t have common allergens. Fun-size Snicker bars are awesome, but they do contain peanuts.
Also, when your kids are out for the night, try to stay with them if they are young. If you believe they are old enough to go out alone or with friends, give them a flashlight so they can easily find their way around if it gets too dark. A flashlight also lets motorists see them more easily. Put reflective tape on your kid’s costumes so they can be easily seen. Plan a specific route to take for trick-or-treating; being lost is not something you want on your Halloween night.
One of the most important factors to be wary about on Halloween is the expected motorist and pedestrian traffic. With millions of children going out on the same night and all at around the same time, foot traffic can get pretty intense, and children are twice as likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident on Halloween. Be cautious when driving and watch out for children trying to cross the street. As kids go to various houses for trick-or-treating, they’ll be crossing roads often.
Also, 52 percent of motor vehicle deaths on Halloween involve alcohol. Halloween parties are common and so is alcohol at those parties. Be sure to drive responsibly to avoid accidents and to never drink and drive.
Managing both safety and fun on Halloween is easily doable as long as you plan accordingly. Make sure any candy your kids get is safe for them to eat, keep track of your kids and make sure they don’t get lost especially if they are young and be careful to avoid traffic incidents. If you take all these factors into account, then Halloween is much more likely to go wickedly well.
Jacob Comer is an intern in Monongalia County Health Department's public information office.
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