KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR Gary R. Mitchell, Secretary

October 10, 1997

Contact: Jan Stegelman

(785) 296-1223

There's No Trick to a Safe Halloween

Witches ... ghosts ... goblins ... monsters ... Halloween is a fun time for a child's imagination to come to life. But as your little characters roam the neighborhood this year, simple safety steps are a necessity.

"While Halloween is an exciting time for children, it could also be one of the most dangerous nights of the year," said Jan Stegelman of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. "It is important for parents and caregivers to not only outfit children in safe costumes, but to review important safety tips with children before they go out trick-or-treating."

The majority of injuries occurring on Halloween are caused by falls, impact with motor vehicles, burns and even collected treats. To help make sure your child's Halloween is safe, the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends the following general safety precautions:

• Accompany young children on their trick-or-treat rounds.
• Attach the name, address and phone number (including area code) of children under age 12 to their clothes.
• Teach your child his or her phone number. Make sure your child has change for a phone call in case they have a problem away from home.
• Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along a pre-established route.
• Instruct children never to enter a home or an apartment building unless accompanied by an adult.
• Set a time for children to return home.
• Restrict their trick-or-treating visits to homes with porch or outside lights illuminated.
• Remove breakable items or obstacles such as tools, ladders and children's toys from your steps, lawn and porch. Keep jack-o-lanterns lit with candles away from landings or doorsteps where costumes might brush against the flame.
• Tell children to bring their treats home before eating them. Parents should check treats to ensure that items have not been tampered with and are safely sealed. Be careful with fruit. Inspect the surface closely for punctures or holes and cut it open before allowing a child to eat it.

Falls

On Halloween night, children may find it difficult to walk safely through dark neighborhoods due to cumbersome costumes and blinding masks. The following tips can help prevent fall-related injuries:

• Apply face paint or cosmetics directly to the face. It is safer than a loose fitting mask that can obstruct a child's vision. If a mask is worn, be certain it fits securely. Cut the eye holes large enough for full vision.
• Give trick-or-treaters flashlights.
• Make costumes short enough to avoid tripping.
• Secure hats so they will not slip over children's eyes.
• Dress children in shoes that fit. Adult shoes are not safe for trick-or-treaters. The larger size makes it easier for them to trip and fall.
• Allow children to carry only flexible knives, swords or other props. Anything they carry could injure them if they fall.
• Teach children not to cut across yards. Lawn ornaments and clotheslines are hidden hazards in the dark. Tell your children to stay on the sidewalk at all times.

Pedestrian Injuries

During the excitement of trick-or-treating, children often scurry to visit as many houses as possible -- often scooting among parked and on-coming cars. Darting out into the street accounts for the majority of pedestrian fatalities among children ages 14 and under. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition offers the following important tips:

• Decorate costumes, bags and sacks with retro-reflective tape.
• Use costumes that are light or bright enough to make them more visible at night.
• Tell children to walk, not run, while trick-or-treating.
• Remind children to stop at all street corners.
• Tell them to cross the street only at intersections and crosswalks.
• Tell them to look left, right and left again before crossing the street.
• Tell them never to dart out from between parked cars.
• Never let children under age 10 go trick-or-treating or cross the street alone without the supervision of an adult or older sibling.
• Slow down when driving in residential neighborhoods.
• Obey all traffic signs and signals.
• Watch for children walking in the street or on medians and curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleyways carefully.
• Teach children to exit and enter the car on the curb side, away from traffic.

Burns

Fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children. When choosing a child's costume, the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends the following:

• Look for "flame resistant" labels on costumes, masks, beards and wigs.
• Use flame resistant material when making costumes.
• Avoid costumes made of flimsy material and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts. These are more likely to come in contact with an exposed flame, such as a candle, than tighter fitting costumes.
• By following these simple safety rules, Halloween night can be a real treat for the whole family.

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition, Inc. is a nonprofit group of 60 statewide organizations and businesses that have joined to protect Kansas children from unintentional injury -- the leading killer of Kansas kids. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Wichita, Lawrence, Salina, Barber County, Topeka, Ford County, Manhattan, Pottawotomie County, and Clay County. Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.

For more information, call Jan Stegelman at (785) 296-1223.