Safe and Healthy Halloween

[Karen Smith]

The Monterey County Health Department offers tips and ideas to keep your family safe and healthy during Halloween related festivities.

• Pick visible costumes. When you’re costume shopping, encourage your kids to pick brightly colored costumes. That way it will be easier for cars to see them on dark roads. If they insist on wearing dark colors, stick some reflective tape on the costumes to help them be more noticeable. You can also put reflective tape on their candy bags and give your children flashlights to carry.
• Use face paint instead of a mask with your children’s costumes. Face paint may work better than a mask when it comes to visibility. If you decide to paint designs on your kids’ faces, follow the directionson the face paint packaging closely. You may want to test the face paint a few days before Halloween to make sure it doesn't irritate your children’s skin. And make sure to avoid their eyes when you apply it.
• Don’t snack while trick-or-treating. Wait until you get home so that you have a chance to inspect your children’s candy. To prevent snacking, give your kids a small meal before they head out. When they get home, toss out any candy with opened or damaged wrappers and homemade treats, unless you know the giver personally.
• Consider using a glow stick or battery-powered lights instead of candles in luminaries or in jack-o-lanterns, especially around little kids who could get burned or drapery that could catch fire. Make sure your kids Halloween costumes are flame resistant in case a cape or other part of the  costume comes near an open flame.

The following links provide even more information about keeping your family safe and healthy during the festivities.

• Keep your family safe with these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  English  -  Spanish
• Avoid "germ monsters" and stay healthy with these ideas.
• Keep the lead out of kids - tips to avoid lead this Halloween
• Don't forget your pets - tips to keep your furry family members safe
• Halloween Food Safety - How to keep BAC from crashing your monster mash -Kid friendly flyer
• Before you try decorative contact lenses - read this
• Safety in 3 Steps from the Consumer Protection Agency - Click here
• Licorice: a trick or treat? - FDA Consumer Update