How to Have a Safe Halloween

By Sara Butler

At The Joint Chiropractic, we want you to stay healthy and happy every day, even on All Hallows Eve! So, whether you’re dressing up as a skeleton (one of our personal favorites), a witch, or a character that will get you screams from children all night long, there are a few rules all ghouls and ghosties (big and small) needs to live by. Here are a few of our favorite Halloween safety tips for you and your family.

Stay S-A-F-E

Don’t let Halloween be remembered as that one holiday where you said “Hey, ya’ll! Watch this!” Then you took a trip to the emergency room. To keep you and your children safe, you have to remember:

• Short, soft, and flexible costume accessories should be worn
• Avoid going out alone, make sure to stay with a group or with adults
• Fasten your costume with reflective tape
• Examine all your treats for tricks, tampering, and choking hazards

How to Have a Good H-A-L-L-O-W-E-E-N

Another way you can remember to put safety first is to:

• Hold a flashlight to help you see others (and sidewalks, too)
• Avoid allergic reactions by testing your stage makeup on a small area of skin first
• Look both ways before crossing the street to get your chicken costume to the other side
• Lower your risk of eye injuries by forgetting about the decorative contacts
• Only use sidewalks – don’t walk in the street
• Wear costumes and masks that fit well to help you avoid falls
• Eat only mass-produced treats, not homemade ones
• Enter a home only if you’re with an adult
• Never walk near luminaries, pumpkins, or candles in your costume to avoid burns

A Word About Candy

Did you know that Americans spend about a billion (yes, billion!) dollars on sugary candy each and every Halloween? Don’t kid yourself, either. You know you’re going to pilfer your child’s bag of candy the moment they crash from their sugar rush. For the safety of everyone in your family, make sure to limit the amount of candy you eat after the trick-or-treating is done. With the holidays right around the corner, that couple of extra pounds could easily turn into five or more that doesn’t go away. So, be smart not just when you’re out and about this Halloween, but after you get home, too.

Have Fun!

We know that following rules kind of flies in the face of what Halloween is all about. But, you want to live to see the next Halloween and be in healthy shape when you do, don’t you? At The Joint, we sure want you to! So have fun, but remember to have a happy, healthy and safe Halloween .. and put down that 50th Snickers mini and just walk away.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.