{"id":9661,"date":"2022-10-30T16:01:39","date_gmt":"2022-10-30T20:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?p=9661"},"modified":"2022-10-31T10:54:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T14:54:50","slug":"you-can-avoid-a-fright-this-halloween-by-making-sure-your-trick-or-treaters-are-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/2022\/10\/30\/you-can-avoid-a-fright-this-halloween-by-making-sure-your-trick-or-treaters-are-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"You can avoid a fright this Halloween by making sure your trick-or-treaters are safe."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>(RICHMOND, Va.)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As little ghosts and goblins prepare to hit the trick-or-treat trails, make sure they do so safely with these tips that we\u2019ve rounded up to help, from choosing costumes and checking candy to hosting a party at home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Check Your Treats<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Homemade is not preferred. Parents are advised to only allow children to eat candy that has been pre-packaged by a reputable manufacturer. Check wrapped treats for signs of tampering. Throw away anything that is discolored, has tiny pinholes or that has a torn wrapper.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illegal drugs may be made to look like popular candy brands; these are known as \u201clook-alikes.\u201d If you suspect your child\u2019s candy contains illicit or illegal substances, call your local police department.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pets like candy, too. Many candy items, including chocolate, are poisonous to pets. Use this as a chance to teach children about pet safety and the need to properly store candy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lock your stock. Locked medicine cabinets keep look-alike prescription and over-the-counter medications away from children who can easily mistake them for candy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn\u2019t present. Do not allow the child to eat any home-baked goods he or she may have received.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have very young children, be sure to remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call the Poison Control Hotline (1-800-222-1222) to report any incidents and receive trained medical advice. Officials also recommend putting the number in all family cell phones as well as programming it as a speed dial number on landlines, and posting the number near house phones. Medical professionals including physicians, registered nurses and pharmacists offer confidential advice on poison emergencies, poison prevention, drug information, food poisoning, animal bites and more. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Trick-or-Treating\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stay home if you\u2019re sick and stay away from those who are ill.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children shouldn\u2019t snack on treats from their goody bags while they\u2019re out trick-or-treating. Give them a light meal or snack before they head out \u2013 don\u2019t send them out on an empty stomach. Urge them to wait until they get home and let you inspect their loot before they eat any of it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prepare your trick or treater with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fVMar0OnEqg\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">trick or treat safety items<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: a flashlight, reflective tape or strips applied to costumes and candy bags, and an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cpr\/readywrigley\/documents\/15_259306-D_Backpack_Emergency_Card_EN_fillable.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emergency contact information card<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in case they get lost or separated from the group.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trick or treat as part of a large group with a responsible adult.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look both ways before crossing the street at a crosswalk or intersection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walk, don\u2019t run between houses to avoid trips and falls.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your hands clean by using hand sanitizer. If you\u2019re giving out candy, wash your hands frequently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never take candy from strangers. Parents should only allow kids to go to homes in which they know the residents.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Costumes<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not wear decorative contact lenses without a prescription. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/contactlenses\/keep-eyes-safe-halloween.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decorative lenses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> purchased without a prescription may not fit properly, leaving the eye more susceptible to scratches on the outer layer of the eye, or getting an ulcer (an open sore) on the cornea\u2014the clear covering over the front of the eye.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Painting your face can be a fun alternative to wearing a mask. Test <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/cosmetics\/cosmetic-products\/novelty-makeup\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">novelty makeups<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a small area on the arm to test for an allergic reaction before applying it to your face. Remove all makeup according to the manufacturers\u2019 instructions before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure costumes fit well to avoid blocked vision and help prevent trips and falls.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose costume accessories that are short, soft and flexible. Choose items that are made of materials such as plastic or foam.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Parties\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Skip the Halloween party if you aren\u2019t feeling well.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bobbing for apples is a favorite Halloween game, but make sure the apples are rinsed well under cool running water or use a produce brush to remove surface dirt before playing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check your cider. Unpasteurized juice or cider can contain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella. To stay safe, always serve pasteurized products at your parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t taste raw cookie dough or cake batter that contains uncooked eggs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re serving hot foods, cook everything to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafety.gov\/food-safety-charts\/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">safe minimum internal temperature<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to get rid of any foodborne illness bacteria.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep finger sandwiches, cheese platters, fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped-cream and cream-cheese frostings chilled until serving time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t let those types of foods sit out too long after taking them out of the refrigerator. They should not sit out for more than two hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(RICHMOND, Va.) \u2013 As little ghosts and goblins prepare to hit the trick-or-treat trails, make sure they do so safely with these tips that we\u2019ve rounded up to help, from choosing costumes and checking candy to hosting a party at home. Check Your Treats Homemade is not preferred. Parents are advised to only allow children [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":488,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"modified_by":"marianhunter","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>You can avoid a fright this Halloween by making sure your trick-or-treaters are safe. - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/2022\/10\/30\/you-can-avoid-a-fright-this-halloween-by-making-sure-your-trick-or-treaters-are-safe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"You can avoid a fright this Halloween by making sure your trick-or-treaters are safe. - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(RICHMOND, Va.) \u2013 As little ghosts and goblins prepare to hit the trick-or-treat trails, make sure they do so safely with these tips that we\u2019ve rounded up to help, from choosing costumes and checking candy to hosting a party at home. 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