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1st appeared
24
October 2000
A Few Tricks to Make
Halloween Safe
The statewide California
Poison Control System urges parents to follow Halloween safety precautions
to assure that kids enjoy the fun of trick-or-treating without running
into holiday hazards.
The California Poison Control
System (CPCS), which is managed by the UCSF School of Pharmacy, offers
the following tips:
Trick-or-Treating
- An adult should accompany
young children, and Halloween visits should be limited to familiar,
local neighborhoods.
- Walkways and lawns should
be made safe by removing obstacles and leaving outside lights on.
- Stay away from barking
dogs or other upset animals.
- Carry a flashlight after
dusk and watch for cars.
- Wear brightly colored
costumes that are made of flame-retardant materials. Use reflective
tape on costumes and trick-or-treat bags.
Treats
- Feed children before
they go trick-or-treating. Give them a small amount of candy or
other food to eat while trick-or treating, so they won’t be
tempted to eat from the bag before their treats can be checked.
- Parents should inspect
all treats before they are eaten.
- Eat only those treats
in their original, unopened wrappers. Throw away candy if wrappers
are faded, have holes or tears, or signs of re-wrapping.
- Throw away all unwrapped
candy.
- Check fruits and homemade
treats carefully to make sure that foreign objects such as pins,
tacks and razor blades are not present.
- Drugs can look like
candy. Anything that looks suspicious should be thrown away.
- Food that is "off-color"
or doesn’t smell right should be thrown away.
- Some treats, especially
chocolate, can be poisonous to pets.
Costumes
- Face paints, glues and
glitters should be made of non-toxic material. Parents should be
aware that some children have allergic reactions to these products,
such as a rash or itching. If this occurs, remove the makeup immediately
and thoroughly clean the skin with mild soap and water.
- Costumes should be flame-resistant
and with room enough to allow a child to dress warmly underneath.
- Masks should be easy
to see and breathe through.
Pumpkin Carving/Jack O’Lanterns
- Children can have fun
drawing a face on a pumpkin and scraping out the contents, but an
adult should do the carving.
- Jack O’Lanterns
with candles should be watched carefully and should be placed where
they cannot start a fire.
Halloween also means parties
for parents. Parents should make sure all alcohol and cigarette butts
are cleaned up. These items can poison small children.
If any child becomes sick
after eating a Halloween treat, seek immediate medical attention.
If possible, take the remains of the suspected food or candy to help
medical professionals determine the cause of the illness.
If you suspect someone
has been poisoned, call the California Poison Control System. The
24-hour toll-free emergency number is 1-800-876-4766.
The statewide California
Poison Control System (CPCS) allows Californians to dial one toll-free
number from anywhere in the state. CPCS consists of four divisions
located at Valley Children’s Hospital in Fresno/Madera, UC Davis
Medical Center in Sacramento, UC San Diego Medical Center and the
UCSF-affiliated San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center.
Source:
Wallace Ravven, News Services
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