Spook-tacular Halloween Safety Tips for Kids and Parents

Halloween brings a night of fun and treats for children. While some parents prefer to spend the evening at community Halloween events, many children still embrace the holiday spirit by walking door to door collecting candy. While the trick-or-treating tradition was once a yearly rite of childhood, some parents opt out of allowing their children to participate because of safety concerns.

For parents and their children who want to continue the trick-or-treating tradition, Mehlville Fire Protection District offers these Halloween safety tips to ensure the evening ends on a sweet and fun note. 

Halloween Safety Tips and Best Practices for Parents

Parents remember the joy and excitement of trick-or-treating with friends, and many want to continue this yearly tradition with their children. However, times have changed, and parents must be mindful of teaching their children to navigate safely this evening. Here are 10 Halloween best practices every parent should follow:

1. Never let children trick-or-treat alone. An adult should always chaperone the door-to-door visits. Parents don’t need to hover, though.
2. Always carry a flashlight. Some streets are lit, but others are dark and more difficult to navigate. Take a flashlight and use it when necessary.
3. Encourage children to carry a bag (or wear a costume) made from reflective materials. This ensures that cars see them. 
4. Teach children to only knock on homes with an illuminated porch light. Dark homes are not participating in the treat giveaways.
5. Carry a cell phone in emergencies; have children carry their phone, too (if they have one). Make sure phones are charged before leaving home.
6. Always stay on sidewalks or the side of roads. Be mindful of cars and remind children to be extra cautious.
7. Don’t trick or treat in unfamiliar neighborhoods. 
8. Put down phones when walking; always pay attention to the surroundings.
9. Only cross streets at marked crosswalks or neighborhood intersections. Remember to look both ways.
10. Remind children never to run across streets or dart in front of vehicles. 

Halloween Candy Safety 

In the 1980s, parents feared needles in candy or poisonous sweets. The urban myth was that Halloween candy might include hidden harmful items and that parents needed to be vigilant about checking all of the candy.

However, as NPR explains, the real dangers of Halloween have little to do with the candy. Children die while crossing the street, they trip on their costumes, and some may even hurt themselves while carving pumpkins. 

Parents still fear the razor blades, needles, and poisonous substances that hide in small pieces of candy. NPR interviewed Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, who studied the legend of poisonous candy and discovered that no child has died from this perceived threat. 

“This is absolutely a legend,” Best told NPR. “It’s not a particularly great legend … but it lives on.”

Do parents need to sift through their children’s candy and investigate each piece? Likely not. However, opened or semi-unwrapped candy should probably be tossed. Who knows what kind of dirt or germs have attached to it? 

The Needle in Candy Myth

How did the needle or razor blade in the candy myth even begin? The fear and legend have passed from parents through the decades. Unfortunately, sometimes a myth leads to truth. In 2021, two pieces of candy were contaminated with a sewing needle during a community event.

While many parents understand that these candy contaminations are rare and that many are deemed hoaxes, the fear of their child possibly consuming harmful pieces of candy complicates trick-or-treating with a sour note. 

How to Inspect Halloween Candy

For parents concerned about a perceived candy threat, sort through candy and look for opened pieces or package holes. Toss out these pieces and let the children keep the rest. Opened pieces of candy shouldn’t be consumed, as they could be dirty or stale.  

Halloween Pet Safety

Parents of pets also need to be extra vigilant on Halloween. This holiday can be a scary time for cats and dogs. Strangers knocking on doors could be frightening and overwhelming. Chocolate candy also is toxic to dogs and cats. Here are five tips to keep in mind for safe and happy pets on Halloween:

1. Keep dogs and cats indoors and in a safe area; make sure they cannot escape into the night when doors open for trick or treaters. 
2. Store candy away from pets. Chocolate is toxic to both cats and dogs, and some artificial sweeteners (like Xylitol) also can be toxic. Raisins also are toxic.
3. Add a reflective piece of tape to pet collars. In case they accidentally escape, this helps them to be seen.
4. Keep all black cats (and cats, in general) indoors. On Halloween, cats may be at risk for harm from individuals who perceive them as a link to witches. 
5. Pet costumes can be cute, but make sure that pets are not at risk for injury wearing their costume. Also, if they really seem annoyed by the costume, just take it off. 

Jack-o-lanterns and candles also pose a safety risk to animals. Keep all cats and dogs away from Halloween flames.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

The crews at Mehlville Fire wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween. Have fun collecting candy, and remember to follow trick-or-treating safety tips and best practices!