THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OFFERS HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Health (DOH) remind parents to supervise or prepare their children for a safe Halloween.  With less daylight in the evening, children are likely to be trick-or-treating in the dark when it is harder for drivers to see them.  The excitement of the holiday can also make everyone less cautious and increase other potential hazards.
“Parents should talk with their children about how to keep themselves safe while trick-or-treating,” said State Surgeon General Ana M. Viamonte Ros, M.D., M.P.H.  “Young children shouldn’t go trick-or-treating without an adult, and mature children should be advised to stay with their group and stick with the pre-planned, well-lit route.”
DOH also recommends these additional safety tips:

• Trick-or-treaters should walk, not run, on well-lit sidewalks or paths, and face traffic as far to the left side of the roadway as possible when sidewalks and paths are not available.  Direct routes with the fewest street crossings are best, but if crossing the street is necessary, cross only at signals and crosswalks.  Never dart into the street, cross between parked cars, and never assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you.
• Halloween makeup should be non-toxic and pre-tested to a small area of the skin before use. If a costume includes using cosmetic contact lenses, make sure they are prescribed and fitted by an eye care professional.
• Children should carry flashlights or glow sticks with them, use reflective trick-or-treat bags or have reflective tape on their costumes, and not wear masks which may inhibit their ability to see.
• Children should not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering.
• Teach children their home phone number and how to call 9-1-1 if they have an emergency or become lost.

DOH advises parents or guardians to pay close attention to safety tips and television advisories. Many factors contribute to making Halloween a potentially dangerous holiday for children, but with proper preparation, parents and children can reduce the risk of accidental injuries.
DOH promotes, protects and improves the health of all people in Florida. The mission of the DOH Office of Injury Prevention is to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading cause of death for children 14 and under.  Visit www.doh.state.fl.us/injury for more information on Florida Injury Prevention programs, or www.safekids.org for more tips on how to keep children safe on Halloween and throughout the year.  Visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm187021.htm for specific Halloween food safety tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.


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