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| Jack-O’-Lantern by William Warby. Creative Commons. |
For many of us October means Halloween—picking out costumes, carving pumpkins, and maybe dipping into the candy stash a little too early!
While a little spookiness is part of the fun, none of us want anything actually scary to happen. Follow these tips for a fun and safe Halloween:
- Dress trick-or-treaters in brightly colored costumes made of flame-resistant materials. Add reflective tape to costumes or trick-or-treat bags to make sure your child is visible after it gets dark.
- If you use makeup, test it on a small area of skin first. Keep an eye out for skin irritation or an allergic reaction, such as a rash or itching. If this happens, remove the makeup right away with soap and water. Remove all makeup before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation.
- Keep an eye on kids playing with glow sticks. They can break and sometimes children chew them open. The insides of a glow stick can irritate the skin and eyes and cause an upset stomach.
- Bring along your own candy to give your children while trick-or-treating so they will not eat candy you have not inspected from their bags.
- Inspect all treats before kids eat them. Only eat treats that are in their original, unopened wrappers. Throw out candies with wrappers that are faded, have holes, tears or signs of rewrapping.
- Keep candy, such as chocolate, away from dogs and other pets. It can be poisonous to them.
- Keep candle-lit jack-o-lanterns off doorsteps and out of the way of foot traffic. They can be a fire hazard for trick-or-treaters with long or flowing costumes.
- Keep dry ice out of drinking glasses. Dry ice can cause frostbite if it touches your skin or mouth.
Most importantly, always supervise your child, and remember you can call the poison center at any hour at 1-800-222-1222 or chat online if your child chews on or swallows something that may be harmful.
