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Health & Fitness

TRICK-OR-TREATING SAFETY TIPS

FROM THE WAYNE ALLIANCE FOR THE PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE Volunteer Eileen Smith: 

 Pumpkins are carved, houses are decorated, the costume is ready, you’re all set for Halloween.   The Wayne Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse wants you to have a fun -- and safe -- Halloween.  Here are some safety tips for trick-or-treaters and drivers.

 

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For Parents

1.         Parents should accompany their children.

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2.         Make sure your child’s costume is flame-retardant and the right size to prevent    trips and falls.

3.         Decorate costumes with reflective tapes or stickers.

4.         Masks can obstruct your child’s vision, use non-toxic face paint instead.

5.         Provide your children with glow sticks or a flashlight so they can be seen by         motorists.

6.         Make sure your kids to cross at crosswalks or at a corner.  Make eye contact with             drivers before stepping into the street and always look left, right and left again.

7.         Watch for cars pulling out of driveways.

8.          Take out the headphones and no texting and walking especially when crossing the road.

 

For Drivers

1.        DRIVE SOBER

2.        Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.

3.        Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.

4.        Eliminate any distractions, especially cell phones, inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

5.        Drive slowly, anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on earlier in the day to spot children from greater distances.

 

Remember:  Halloween surpasses all other days of the year for DWI arrests and ER visits among adolescents and teens are five times more likely to happen on Halloween on a regular weekend night due to auto accidents and substance abuse.  Be safe.  Have fun.   

 

For more information on the prevention of substance abuse, be sure to like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/waynealliance

 

 

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