Halloween Safety Tips from California Poison Control System
No bones about it: Halloween is the spookiest of holidays… the night is filled with ghoulish delights, delightful frights, and spooky sights. To help keep the ‘boo’ times exciting, not frightening, California Poison Control System (CPCS) offers safety tips for your trick-or-treaters.
“Kids and adults love the thrill of being spooked, but the playful scares can become a real fright if they aren’t careful,” says Dr. Rais Vohra, Medical Director for the Fresno/Madera Division of CPCS. So, beware, there just might be potential Halloween hazards at every turn.”
Treat-smarts
- Do not let your child eat any candy until you’ve inspected it.
- Look for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, pinholes, or tears in wrappers, and discard anything that looks suspicious.
- Make sure your child sticks with factory-wrapped candy. Throw away unwrapped candy immediately.
- If the candy or treat doesn’t have a label, throw it away.
- Avoid homemade treats and treats with personal packaging, unless you know and trust the individuals who prepared them.
- Fruit treats should be washed and cut open before allowing your child to eat them.
- If your child brings home a brand of candy that isn’t familiar, throw it away.
- Be mindful of small pieces of hard candy, gum, or peanuts, they could be a choking hazard for young children; they can also end up in little noses or ears.
Beware of food allergies
- If your child has a food allergy, read the labels to ensure the allergen — such as peanuts, eggs, dairy, or tree nuts — isn’t present.
- If you’re unsure about any ingredients in any candy, toss it.
- To be extra careful, carry your child’s auto-injectable epinephrine in case of anaphylaxis or an allergic reaction.
Scream-worthy dangers
- Help your kids avoid the temptation of gorging on some of their booty before you have an opportunity to inspect it by making sure they have a snack before heading out for their candy harvest.
- With candy alternatives, look for — and remove — potential choking hazards for young children, such as small toys.
- Medicine and candy can look, smell, and even taste alike. So make sure to store all your medicines out of sight and reach of children.
Spook-tacular costume hazards
- Glow sticks are popular items used by trick-or-treaters to see and be seen at night, but don’t let your child chew on them, as the luminescent liquid inside it can cause mouth irritation and an upset stomach. The liquid can also cause skin and eye irritation.
- Use nontoxic Halloween makeup on your child. Check the ingredients: some Halloween makeup contains lead or other toxic ingredients.
- Swords or wands should be made of rubber or plastic and flexible. If your child trips or falls while carrying them, a rigid or pointy item can be dangerous.
- Be careful with baggy, draggy costumes; they could cause your child to trip or fall.
“To avoid ruining the fun of Halloween, try to keep your child from eating too much candy at once,” adds Dr. Vohra. “They’re almost certain to get an upset tummy because sugars and other sweeteners can act as laxatives when consumed in large amounts.”
If you have questions, call the CPCS 24-hour hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
