American Red Cross Offers Safety Tips For Halloween Trick-or-Treaters and Parents

Take Steps To Keep Little Witches, Ghouls and Goblins Safe This Year

PITTSBURGH- As Halloween quickly approaches, young children in the community are preparing their best costumes for the annual trick-or-treat festivities. This year, the American Red Cross is offering helpful tips and advice on how to have a happy and safe Halloween.

“Halloween is always a fun time of year for the little ones,” said Patricia Waldinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross, Western Pennsylvania Region. “But, it is important to take certain precautions to ensure a safe night of collecting treats.”

The following Red Cross safety tips will ensure a happy Halloween:

• Make costumes stand out. Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags and use face make-up instead of masks, which can lessen visibility.
• Plan a designated trick-or-treat route. Parents and children should map out a safe route together to avoid dangerous situations.
• Appoint an adult to accompany children. Do not let children wander through the neighborhood without proper supervision of a responsible adult.
• Accept treats only at the door. Visit only the homes that have a porch light on and never go inside a home to accept candy. Make sure to stay in well-lit areas.
• Stick to the sidewalks. Never walk in the street. If a sidewalk is not present, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Always look both ways before crossing the street and stick to crossing at street corners.
• Be careful of strangers and animals. Be especially careful to avoid stray dogs. Also be sure pets in the home are secured so that they do not accidentally jump on or bite visiting trick-or-treaters.
• Watch for open flames. An open flame in a jack-o-lantern could easily turn into a fire. Try using a flashlight or glow stick to light up jack-o-lanterns instead. In addition, be cautious of flames around costumes, which tend to be highly flammable.
• Inspect treats thoroughly. Examine each piece of candy carefully to ensure it is not contaminated. Throw away any treat which is spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious.
• Keep steps and front yard clear and well-lit. Make sure the outdoor lights are on. Clear the steps, sidewalks and front yard of leaves or other obstacles that a child could trip over.

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About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.