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Community Corner

Tips For A Happy And Safe Halloween

From Pets To Pumpkin Carving, The Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center Emergency Department And The Clinton Police Department Offer Tons Of Tips So You Don't Have To Ring Their Doorbell On Halloween!

Halloween is one of the best holidays on the calendar. You get to disguise yourself in a really cool costume. You get to eat all sorts of sweets day and night. Kids get free candy, and both kids and adults can go to parties and haunted attractions. 

The following Halloween safety tips from Ben Sigal, M.D. and Deb Sweet, R.N., of the Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center Emergency Department are not to scare you from letting your little devils go trick or treating. They are listed because we want this "fangtastic" holiday to be memorable for good reasons.

COSTUME:

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  • Costume length should be short enough to avoid tripping
  • Choose flame-resistant costume material such as nylon or polyester
  • Wear well fitting footwear to avoid tripping
  • Costume accessories such as wands, swords and knives should be short, soft and flexible
  • Add reflective tape, glow sticks or flashing LED lights for greater visibility
  • Masks limit eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup as an alternative

ON THE HUNT FOR CANDY:

  • A parent should accompany young trick-or-treaters around a familiar neighborhood
  • Older children should stay in a group, discuss and have a route and return time approved by parent
  • Use flashlights; caution children not to shine flashlights in eyes of drivers
  • Approach houses which are well lit, preferentially with Halloween decor; best to go to homes of people you know
  • Remain on sidewalks or the far edge of the road facing traffic on well lit streets
  • Don't assume a car driver can see you, if one stops it doesn't mean the next one will
  • Don't cut across yards.  Cross streets as a group in crosswalks and never in between cars.  Always look both ways first.
  • Carry a cell phone
  • Remind children to say no to strangers, not to accept a ride or go anywhere with someone they don't know.  If someone approaches them that they don't know instruct them to scream as loud as they can and run away to someplace safe.

DRIVING:

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  • Drive SLOWLY watching for children in the street and on medians at all times
  • Exit driveways carefully
  • Have children exit cars on the curb side
  • Keep hazard blinking lights ON when pulled over waiting for children to enter or exit the car
  • Be vigilant of parents following their kids in cars who are usually pre-occupied

FOOD HEALTH:

  • Serve a nutritious meal prior to going out trick-or-treating
  • Wait until you return home before eating any treats
  • Inspect candy packets to be sure they are sealed.  Discard spoiled, wet, unwrapped or suspicious items
  • Set a limit to the amount of treats to be eaten after trick-or-treating
  • Ration the treats for the days following Halloween

PUMPKIN CARVING:

  • Children should only decorate pumpkins by drawing, applying glitter, stickers or other decorations 
  • Parents should do the carving
  • Consider a glow stick or battery operated LED instead of a candle
  • Place Jack-O-Lantern on a sturdy surface, away from curtains and out of children's reach

PETS:

  • Candy is dangerous for your cat or dog, especially chocolate which has a chemical they can't tolerate 
  • Candy wrappers can cause choking and gastric obstruction
  • Wagging tails are dangerous around candle lighted Jack-O-Lanterns
  • Avoid putting a mask on your pet as it may obstruct their vision or cover their nose and mouth making breathing difficult
  • Keep your pet away from visitors at the door

When Detective Bryan Pellegrini of the Clinton Police Department gives a class to trick-or-treaters he stresses the following:

   * Do not go out alone
   * Wear warm comfortable clothes
   * Wear sneakers or walking shoes
   * Always use the driveways and never cut across yard (unknown dangers)
   * Only go to houses with lights on
   * Do not cross streets near parked cars
   * Cross only at intersections (cars usually have stop signs and there are usually street lights)
   * Make sure you know your parent/guardian's cell, home phone numbers
   * Lift mask off face when walking
   * Bring an extra bag just in case one breaks
   * Make sure costume does not interfere with walking
   * Do not approach cars
   * Do not eat anything until you get home (safety and allergies)
   * Bring a flashlight
   * Use reflective tape on the back of your costume
 
 

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