Genesee County Health Department

Better Life Through Better Health

Halloween is meant to be a fun time of the year. Following a few simple rules can also help ensure that it is a safe time of the year for everyone, too.

• Choose safe costumes that have good ventilation, eyeholes large enough for peripheral vision and that do not drag on the ground. Wear shoes that fit. Face paint is better than a mask.
• Check to be sure that any tips or edges on props are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.
• It is much safer to trick-or-treat during daylight hours. However, if children do go out after dark, make sure that they have a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective tape on their costumes to make them visible to others.
• If children want to help carve the pumpkin, a safe approach is to let them clean out the insides while an adult does the carving. If a child wants to carve his or her own pumpkin, make them use a pumpkin safety knife.
• Small flashlights are safer in pumpkins than candles. If you put candles in your pumpkins, make sure that they can not be tipped over. Candles can cause a house fire or set children’s costumes on fire.
• Make a rule that children can not eat any candy collected until an adult has had a chance to examine the candy to make sure it is safe.
• If you are passing out candy, only give out treats that come already wrapped.

For more about information safety and injury prevention, call the Genesee County Health Department at 257-3612.