Now that it’s October, the spooky season is here. With Halloween coming up, its time for a reminder of what to look out for so everyone is prepared and aware for the scariest night of the year. Many dangers can exist for children and teens.
Trick or treating is a fun and exciting, but this innocent tradition can go wrong if we don’t know basic safety rules. Kids wandering the streets, sometimes without adults, is an easy way for them to get separated, especially at night. It can get very dark so make sure to leave the house Halloween night with something to make you visible to cars/friends, etc. Glow Sticks, keychain flashlights, reflective clothing/skin-adhesive stickers are all great ways to assure you don’t get lost into the night.
Another danger is laced Halloween candy. When kids trick or treat alone, or arrive home late after being with friends, parents might forget to check their candy collected from strangers, which can lead to dangerous or lethal situations. Assure the candy the little ones in your home are eating is safe.
Warnings about rainbow fentanyl came about last Halloween. It’s important to remember there are many other illegal and harmful substances used for this purpose. Last year, a 5 year old girl from Mastic Shirley came home to reveal cannabis-infused gummy bears she had collected trick or treating that night. She was hospitalized and treated. In this case, the packaging had been clearly labeled to have contained cannabis, and could have been prevented if checked.
Other times, you may not be as lucky. Wrappers of your favorite candies can be opened, tampered with, and resealed. It’s also important to make sure the brand name and logo are exactly identical to the original. Faux wrappers can be used to package candy that’s been tampered with, which may not be spotted by the naked eye.
Teens also need to be cautious on Halloween. Being older and more independent, parents tend to be less hands on. Halloween parties and other events can push teens into bad situations. Things like crowded surroundings or underage drinking, especially all in the dark, situations can get out of hand.
A big problem caused by Halloween costumes are props. Every year police remind the public to be mindful of their costumes because it can be difficult for them to determine whether or not someone is a threat. Police aren’t the only people who can become alarmed or stressed by props, and it isn’t for nothing. Some people may use real weapons as a joke or to make their costume more authentic, but are not mindful of it.
Someone who may be intoxicated can injure someone or an innocent accident can happen if it’s put in the wrong hands. Two years ago, an actor working in a haunted house brought a real knife to work, accidentally stabbing someone passing through the house.
Throw away your child’s trick-or-treat bag if it contains candy or goodies that were created at someone else’s house or were packaged in unique containers. We don’t know what components might have been utilized or who handled those candies. This is one of the most crucial Halloween candy safety advice for everyone.
Even while not everyone enjoys the spooky aspects of Halloween, many individuals have a soft spot in their hearts for gorging on buckets of candy. Sadly, even something as seemingly innocent as giving candy to little kids, who are dressed in imaginative costumes can have a nasty side.
