Focus on safety amid the fun of Halloween

Halloween arrives Sunday, and that presents the opportunity for a full weekend of celebration. Many skipped the holiday a year ago, so now the desire for some late October fun should be particularly strong.

Whether you have kids who are out doing the trick-or-treating rounds or you’re out enjoying a party, the key here is to make sure there’s safety amid the fun.

For starters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging children to go out trick-or-treating this year. Outdoor activities are considered quite safe, especially if people practice a bit of distancing. As always, caution is advised for indoor gatherings, especially with large groups of people.

Beyond that, the usual Halloween safety advice still applies and is worth repeating.

Costume safety

The Food and Drug Administration offers these tips:

• Costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant

• If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks

• Opt for nontoxic Halloween makeup over masks, which can obscure vision; test makeup in a small area first to see if any irritation develops

• Remove all makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation

While kids are out

Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to the National Safety Council, or NSC. Lack of visibility in dark conditions is a key factor. Keep these tips in mind:

• A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood rounds

• If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you

• Agree on a specific time children should return home

• Teach your children never to enter a stranger’s home or car

• Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends

• Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home, and take care to avoid any food allergies.

• Children and adults should put electronic devices down, keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street

Advice for motorists

NSC offers these additional safety tips for anyone who plans to be on the road during trickor-treat hours:

• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs

• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully

• At twilight and after nightfall, watch for children in dark clothing

• Discourage inexperienced motorists from driving on Halloween

Avoid impairment

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or

NHTSA, is reminding drivers about the deadly consequences of drug-impaired driving. If you get behind the wheel while under the influence of any drug, whether legally or illegally obtained, you put everyone in danger, including yourself.

It is illegal nationwide to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol — no exceptions. If you are even the slightest bit impaired by drugs, pass your keys on to a sober driver.

According to NHTSA, between 2009 and 2018, of those drivers killed in crashes and tested for marijuana, the presence of marijuana had nearly doubled. In 2018, 46% of drivers who were killed in crashes and were tested for drugs, tested positive. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, can slow reaction times, impair cognitive performance, and make it more difficult for drivers to keep a steady position in their lane.

If you have used an impairing substance such as marijuana, do not drive. If you think a driver may be impaired, do not get in that person’s car. Take the keys away and arrange for the person to get home safely.

Let’s ensure that this is a weekend filled with fun memories and no regrets.