How your patients can have a spooky but safe Halloween | Image Credit: © juliasudnitskaya - © juliasudnitskaya - stock.adobe.com.

Happy Halloween!

As your patients get set to dress up as their favorite superhero (or supervillain), head out for trick or treating, and get together with friends, it's important to remind families how to be safe during this spooky holiday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA, which has released several Halloween safety tips, there is a lot to consider when choosing a costume, putting makeup on, and how much candy to consume.¹

Costumes

Perhaps most importantly, children should wear costumes that are listed as "flame resistant" on the label, and advise parents to use flame-resistant fabrics such as polyester or nylon if they are creating do-it-yourself costumes. Along with this is the recommendation to wear reflective and bright costumes. If those aren't options for the child's costume by design, parents can always add reflective strips of tape to make the child more visible, especially to motorists.¹

Visibility is very important, so if tape isn't an option either, consider using a flashlight or glow stick, which could also be a fun alternative for the child, stated the Cy-Fair Fire Department (CFFD) of Northwest Harris County, Texas, in a press release.²

"Vibrantly colored makeup is popular at Halloween," stated the FDA and CDC. "Check the FDA’s list of color additives to see if the colors are FDA approved. If they aren’t approved for their intended use, don’t use them. This is especially important for colored makeup around the eyes."¹

The federal agencies also advise against wearing decorative or colored contact lenses that appear to change how eyes look naturally, because of the risk of eye injury, "unless you have seen an eye care professional for a proper fitting and been given instructions for how to use the lenses."¹

Flames

People tend to use some sort of fire in Halloween decor, whether that is for a jack-o-lantern or otherwise, or perhaps even to light tiki torches or fire pits outside for trick or treaters.²

"If you have children, talk to them about the importance of not getting too close to any sort of flame they might encounter—and make sure they are familiar with ‘stop, drop, and roll’ in case an accident does happen," said Justin Reed, assistant chief of CCFD. "Whether you are celebrating Halloween, Diwali, or both, it’s possible that you’ll encounter sparklers and other types of fireworks. Fireworks can be beautiful and exciting, but just like fire, they don’t mix well with decor and costumes. Every year, emergency services sees fires and injuries that result from fireworks around the Fourth of July, so this Diwali, we urge you to take proper precautions like wearing safety glasses and gloves when lighting fireworks, standing well back afterward, and having a hose or bucket of water handy.”²

This quote can serve as a great reminder for parents and families as they prepare for Halloween.

Treats

Perhaps the most fun for the child on Halloween is getting to enjoy the sweet treats! Advise parents of these tips before they go trick or treating, per the FDA and CDC¹:

• Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.
• Eat a snack before heading out to avoid the temptation of nibbling on a treat before it has been inspected.
• In case of a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn’t present. Tell children not to accept — or eat — anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.
• Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys from the Halloween bags.
• Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

If bobbing for apples is a potential classic Halloween game that will be played, reduce the risk of bacteria by thoroughly rinsing the apples under cool, running water. Use a produce brush to remove surface dirt as an added precaution as well.¹

“We’re so used to enjoying fake scares on Halloween, it’s easy to forget that there are real dangers to watch out for,” Reed said in the press release. “Fortunately, being aware and taking simple precautions can drastically improve your odds of avoiding doctors, nurses, EMTs, and firefighters on October 31."²

References:

1. Halloween safety tips: Costumes, candy, and colored contact lenses. CDC. FDA. Press release. October 19, 2023. Accessed October 31, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/halloween-safety-tips-costumes-candy-and-colored-contact-lenses

2. Don’t Let Halloween Hazards Haunt Your Holiday! A Seasonal Safety Review. Cy-Fair Fire Department. Press release. Accessed October 31, 2024.