Safety tips for Trick or Treat

Trick-or-treating will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday night (Oct. 30) in the city limits of Eunice. Trick or Treat on Second Street will be held from 5-8 p.m. from Laurel to Park. Police Chief Ronald Dies offered tips to make the evening safer.
“Give flashlights to kids so that they will be able to see where they are going and so that others can see them,” Dies said. “Urge them to walk in groups and have parents with them and have the parents wear reflective or bright clothes.”
“They are taller than children and easier to see.”
Dies also recommended traveling on sidewalks and staying off the roadways as much as possible.
“Don’t run across the street,” he said. “Have a parent help you across. It will be dusk when trick-or-treating beings, and people will still be coming home from work.”
“Also, do not allow kids to ride in the backs of trucks with the tailgates down or sitting on the tailgate.”
The police chief also suggested checking to make sure children can see clearly through their masks before going trick-or-treating and making sure costumes are safe.
“Make sure costumes are non-flammable,” Dies said. “Some homes may have candles or jack-o-lanterns on their porches.”
“Be vigilant. Don’t go in places where you aren’t familiar. Check candy. These are pretty much the same things we try to emphasize each year.”
The National Center for Disease Control offers these Halloween Safety Tips:
- Swords, knives, and other costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
- Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
- Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
- Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
- Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always walk and don’t run from house to house.
- Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
- Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
- Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
- Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
- Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
- Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
- Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Never accept rides from strangers.
- Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.