CDH Emergency Medicine Physician Offers Halloween Safety Tips

NORTHAMPTON — As Halloween approaches, Dr. Sunny Shukla, Cooley Dickinson Hospital Emergency Medicine physician and associate chief medical officer, offers the following reminders to everyone who is hitting the streets this Thursday to enjoy trick-or-treating.

• Stay together. Trick-or-treating is best done in groups, no matter how safe your neighborhood may be. It is especially safe if a parent is supervising.

• Pick a flame-resistant costume. Whether you or your children are dressing up as a ghost, pirate, monster, or princess this year, make sure the costume is resistant to fire. Look for ‘flame-resistant’ or ‘flame-retardant’ labels on the fabric.

• Know the route. Be familiar with your surroundings. If children are going out unsupervised, make sure you know the route they will be taking, and let them know to stick to that path. Travel the route at night with your child beforehand, even if you are familiar with the area. Take note of the street lighting and crosswalk locations. Kids should know their parents’ phone numbers and addresses. If you get lost, have a safety plan; know where to meet up.

• Follow the light. Homes participating in trick-or-treat festivities should have their indoor and outdoor lights on to show that visitors are welcome. If a home is not well-lit, move on to the next house.

• Inspect candy before eating. Look at each piece of candy collected, even if individually wrapped, to ensure the item is new and unopened. Be wary of homemade snacks with unknown ingredients.

• See and be seen. Carry a flashlight when trick-or-treating after dark. If your costume is darker in color, consider attaching reflective strips to the outfit or decorating a candy bucket with glow sticks.

• Keep pets away from dangerous foods. Many of the treats we enjoy on Halloween are toxic to dogs, including chocolate, raisins, and sugar-free or low-sugar candies containing xylitol.