Halloween Safety: Trick or Treat Tips

Wizards, witches, and ghouls ... proceed with caution. Halloween is coming. Will you survive it?

After all, during the frenzy of Beggars' Night, kids can get into trouble.

"The excitement is ramped up, and kids aren't paying attention," says Tim Givens, MD, a pediatric emergency doctor at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. "What's most worrisome are the injuries that can happen when they run door-to-door."

Traffic hazards on narrow streets are the biggest problem, Givens tells WebMD. "Parents are dropping kids off around the neighborhood. Kids are running between cars, in front of cars. They're falling and tripping over their costumes. In the dark, it can be very hard to see some of those dark costumes."

Make sure your kids' costumes fit right, he advises. "It's very important that the costumes are safe, that they're not too long or too baggy. Make sure their masks fit right, so they can see. Reflective clothing is also a good idea."

More sage advice: "Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street," says the American Red Cross. "Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and low-flying brooms."

And don't despair. Here are even more tips to help you stay safe -- and still have lots of Halloween fun!

Plan the costumes:

• Apply reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags so kids will be visible in a car's headlights. Hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores carry reflective tape.
• Give each child a small flashlight to carry.
• Make sure costumes fit the child; if they're too long or baggy, there's risk of tripping and falling.
• Don't let kids wear unsafe shoes (like mom's high heels). Send them out in sturdy shoes that fit right -- another anti-tripping tip.
• Securely tie any hat (witch and other), so it doesn't slip down over the child's eyes.
• Forget the mask this year -- get creative with face paint instead. Too often, a mask can slip, making it difficult for kids to see or even breathe. Make sure you choose face paint that is non-toxic. Check for an allergic reaction before putting it on the child's face.
• If you do buy a mask, make sure it fits well, isn't too big, and has eyeholes large enough to see well.
• Buy flame-retardant costumes, wigs, beards, etc. Look for the Flame Resistant label.

Talk to kids about safety:

• Don't run from between parked cars. Don't run across yards, as there might be lawn ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines. Walk, don't run, from house to house.
• Use the sidewalk if there is one. Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic, if there is no sidewalk.
• Make sure an adult or older, responsible child is with you at all times.
• Go only to familiar homes with outdoor lights on. Never enter a stranger's house.
• Pin to your child's costume: child's name, address, phone number.
• Establish a route and return time.
• Tell kids not to eat treats while they're trick-or-treating.

Check the candy:

• Toss out any homemade candy or baked goods. If your child is young, toss choking hazards -- gum, peanuts, hard candies, small toys.
• Inspect commercially wrapped candies for possible tampering. Look for unusual appearance, discoloration, tiny pinholes, or wrapper tears.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

A pumpkin tip:

• Beware pumpkin-carving hazards. Only adults should use knives, says Givens. "The littlest guys (under age 12 or so) shouldn't be pumpkin carving. They can draw the face on the pumpkin or scoop it out, but leave cutting to the adults."

If you're on the giving end of Halloween -- preparing to greet those little wizards and goblins -- there's this advice: "Clear your front yard. Make sure walkways are well lit and porches are clear. Don't leave brooms or rakes where kids can trip over them. And give out healthy stuff as opposed to something that will line dentists' pockets later on," says Givens.

Published Sept. 28, 2006.

SOURCES: Tim Givens, MD, Pediatric Emergency doctor, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. American Red Cross: "Health & Safety Tips: Tricks, Treats, Costumes, & Safety." Consumer Product Safety Commission: "Halloween Safety: Safety Alert." National Safety Council: "Halloween Safety." FDA: "Safety Tips for Halloween."