For Immediate Release

December 17, 2002

Contact: Jan Stegelman, 785-296-1223

Decorate with Care for "The Most
Wonderful Time of the Year"

Parents will spend countless dollars and hours decorating their homes for the holidays. Whether it's candles for Hanukkah, kinaras for Kwanzaa, or ornaments for the Christmas tree, many parents know no limits when it comes to filling their home with the holiday spirit. What they may fail to realize is that their work is not over. From the candles to Christmas trees, creating a festive, safe atmosphere will be the most important preparation of all.

"Parents may get caught up in creating an unforgettable holiday environment for their family, and may unknowingly put their children at risk this holiday season by overlooking the potential dangers of their decorations," says Jan Stegelman, Coordinator of Kansas SAFE KIDS.. "Whether you're putting up a Christmas tree or lighting the Menorah or Kwanzaa candles, taking simple precautions can help make your holidays more joyful and safe."

Kansas SAFE KIDS recommends the following tips to keep your holiday season safe:

Lights and Candles

• Decorate your tree using only UL (Underwriters' Lab Inc.) approved lights and cords. Inspect lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections or broken sockets. Do not overload extension cords. Use no more than three strings of lights on one extension cord, and never run an electrical cord under a carpet. Be sure to secure electrical cords so that children cannot pull them and topple the tree.
• Turn off the tree lights when you go to bed, depart from home or leave the tree in an unattended room.
• Keep burning candles out of children's reach; keep matches and lighters out of sight and locked away. Do not leave candles unattended.
• Teach children not to touch burning candles.
• Do not place candles near draperies or anything that might easily catch fire. If you build a fire, use a fireplace screen and do not leave young children alone in the room. Make sure you put out fires and candles when you go to bed or leave the home.
• Install smoke alarms in your home on every level and in every sleeping area. Test alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year. Home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during the cold-weather months.
• Plan and practice with your children several fire escape routes from each room of your home and identify an outside meeting place.

Christmas Trees

• Look for a fresh tree if you choose to buy a natural tree. Fresh trees are less likely to catch fire than older trees. (A safer option is to buy a fire-resistant artificial tree.)
• Keep your tree in a container full of water, and check it daily.
• Use a wide-based stand to make sure the tree is secure and will not fall over.
• Cover the tree basin with a tree skirt or blanket.
• Keep tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators and heating vents.
• Cut back the lower branches to avoid eye injuries to small children.
• Decorate your tree with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that are breakable, have small detachable parts or metal hooks or look like food or candy on the lower branches where small children can reach them. Also, make sure tree lights are hung out of reach of young children.
• Never burn Christmas tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in your fireplace.
• Dispose of your tree promptly after the holidays.

Holiday Foods and Ornaments

Some foods and objects pose a choking hazard to young children, especially children under age six. To help prevent unintentional chokings during the holidays:

• Keep round, hard foods and candies such as candy cane pieces, mints, nuts and popcorn out of reach of young children.
• Keep small ornaments, tinsel, small figurines and other decorations away from children's reach. Young children have a tendency to put things in their mouths.

Poisons

While preparing your home for the holidays, be aware of seemingly innocent and
unexpected forms of poisons.

• Open the flue in your fireplace when burning wood to provide adequate ventilation. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases dramatically in the winter. Proper ventilation of fuel-burning appliances reduces this risk. Check these appliances annually and before use in cold-weather months. Install UL-approved carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
• Keep alcoholic drinks and containers out of reach. Holiday beverages such as eggnog laced with alcohol may be sweet and inviting to young children. Do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended. They could be harmful if consumed by children.
• Keep common baking ingredients such as vanilla and almond extracts out of reach. They contain high levels of alcohol and may be harmful to young children.
• Beware of fire salts used in fireplaces to produce colored flames. They contain heavy metals and cause intense gastrointestinal irritation or vomiting if eaten.
• Keep poisonous plants out of reach. Watch for holly and mistletoe berries that fall on the ground, because they are very poisonous if eaten. Other poisonous holiday plants include amaryllis, azalea, boxwood, Christmas rose, Crown of Thorns, English ivy and Jerusalem cherry. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous, but they can cause skin irritation and gastrointestinal distress.
• Avoid using artificial snow sprays to decorate. These sprays can cause lung irritation if inhaled.
• Post the national poison control hotline number 1-800-222-1222 by all telephones.
• Keep ipecac syrup in the home for use only on the advice of a poison control center or a physician.

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition, Inc. is a nonprofit group of 67 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 Anderson, Barber, Clay, Ford, Johnson, Marion,
Montgomery, Osage, Pottawatomie, and Shawnee Counties, as well as Hutchinson,
Junction City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Norton, Salina, and Wichita.
Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.