Have a Safe, Sweet and Spooktacular Halloween!

From costumes to candy, Halloween is an exciting time for kids and parents alike. Following these safety tips will help make this year’s fun a trick-free treat.

“Buying fire retardant costumes and placing pieces of reflective tape to the front and back of the costume or treat container to make children more visible to passing cars is a good idea,” states  Adam Pickens, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. “Just making sure the costumes fit well to prevent tripping hazards or vision problems can help keep kids safe.”

“Never allow your child to trick-or-treat alone but rather with an adult or group, walking on sidewalks or on the far edge of the road facing traffic,” Pickens advises. “Holding a flashlight while trick-or-treating helps you and your child see where to walk and see others as well.”

Parents should make sure children eat only factory-wrapped treats, avoiding homemade treats unless you know the cook well. And never enter a stranger’s home.

“Be sure to watch for children running out from between parked cars, and enter and exit driveways carefully,” he says. “The simple act of slowing down on neighborhood roads will help make this year’s Halloween a safer, fun time for all.”

Pickens recently spoke with the local newspaper, The Eagle, along with Bryan police spokesperson Kelley McKethan, on some ways to help ensure families have a safe and fun Halloween. Read more online at theeagle.com.