The doctor's office: Tricks to a safe Halloween

By BRUCE A. EPSTEIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 26, 2000

At the end of this month, many children will celebrate Halloween, continuing the age-old tradition of putting on costumes and trick-or-treating throughout their community.

Today's parents and children, however, must take certain precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday. Each year we witness accidents on Halloween that could have been prevented had simple safety rules been followed:

Children should:

• Look in all directions before crossing the street and obey all traffic signals. Walk, never run, across the street, and use sidewalks, not the street, for walking.
• Cross only at street corners, never between parked cars and never diagonally across an intersection.
• Walk facing the oncoming traffic if there is no sidewalk.
• Always remove masks before crossing streets.
• Be aware of cars that may be backing out of driveways.
• Never go into a stranger's house. Remain on the porch at all times.
• Never accept rides from strangers.
• Carry a flashlight and use it so drivers can see them and they can see hazards in the street as well as other people.
• Never eat treats until parents have inspected them.
• Visit only houses where the lights are on.
• Never play near lit jack-o-lanterns.
• Say thank you for the treats.

Parents should:

• Set a time limit for children to trick-or-treat.
• Designate a specific route for them to take.
• Accompany any younger children.
• Know what other activities a child may be attending, such as parties.
• Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism.
• Instruct children not to eat treats until they return home and they've been inspected.
• Give children a small amount of candy or other food to eat while trick-or-treating, so they will not be tempted to eat from the bag of candy before it can be checked.
• Never have children trick-or-treat alone. Have at least two buddies go together for the entire evening.
• Keep small pieces of candy away from infants and very small children. They can easily become lodged in the throat and cause choking.
• Check fruits and homemade treats carefully to make sure that foreign substances are not present.
• Be aware that drugs can look like candy. Anything that looks suspicious should be discarded.
• Keep treats out of reach of pets. Some, especially chocolate, can poison dogs and cats.

Halloween also means parties for parents. Parents should make sure that all alcohol -- in bottles and half-full glasses -- and cigarette butts are cleaned up. Small children can be poisoned by these items.

If any child or adult becomes sick after eating a Halloween treat, seek immediate medical attention. If possible, take the remains of the suspected food or candy to help medical personnel determine the cause of the illness.

Costumes should:

• Be made of flame-retardant material (this includes wigs and bags).
• Be made of bright material.
• Include a flashlight or reflector strips, so children can be seen.
• Not include high heels or long, dangling pieces that a child may trip over.
• Not be cumbersome, floor-length or vision-impairing.
• Use face makeup instead of masks, if possible. If a child wears makeup, parents should look for non-toxic, hypoallergenic kits.

Motorists should:

• Exercise extreme caution when driving a vehicle. Be on the alert for excited youngsters, whose vision may be obscured by masks, darting out into traffic. Many accidents occur when motorists are backing vehicles out of driveways, unaware of the presence of small children.

Residents should:

• Remove all obstacles from lawns and steps to prevent children from being injured.
• Have a well-lighted home, both inside and out, to prevent vandalism and injuries to little ghosts and goblins.
• Welcome trick-or-treaters with porch lights or any other exterior lights on.
• Patrol their street occasionally to discourage speeding motorists, acts of malicious mischief and crimes against children.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police department immediately.
• Not give homemade or unwrapped treats to children.
• Keep dogs and other pets away from doors so children will not become frightened.
• Use flashlights instead of candles to light pumpkins.

-- Bruce A. Epstein practiced pediatrics in St. Petersburg for 26 years. He edits the Web site http://www.kidsgrowth.com.

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