Have a Safe Halloween

Halloween is here, and many of us have been busy finding costumes for our children, ourselves, and if you are like me, our pets. But as we send our children outside to trick or treat, costumes and candy aren’t the only things on our minds. Safety is a major concern for parents everywhere, however there are a few precautions you can take to ensure a worry-free Halloween.

Trick or treat safety:

• An adult should always accompany children under 12 years of age.
• Do not go inside anyone’s house.
• Do not go into a stranger’s automobile.
• Do not take shortcuts through backyards, alleys, or parks.
• Walk don’t run. When crossing the street look both ways. Do not cross in between cars.
• Trick-or-treat on well-lit streets within your neighborhood and carry flashlights to increase visibility.
• Children unaccompanied of an adult should always travel in a group.
• Use the buddy system, and make sure you have at least one buddy with you the entire evening.
• Parents should plan a route for your child to use while trick-or-treating and set an early return time for your child.
• When you return home, have an adult examine and discard all candies that are not factory sealed or wrapped by the candy manufacturer. Never eat homemade or unwrapped treats.

CDC Halloween Health and Safety Tips
FDA Food Safety Tips