Frightful injuries on Halloween increase ER visits

There are some scary statistics about Halloween. Perhaps the scariest is that 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. The National Safety Council says that the “lack of visibility because of low lighting at night plays a factor in these incidents.” 

HealthyChildren.org suggests young children should never trick-or-treat without an adult. “If your older children are trick-or-treating alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home and get flashlights with batteries for everyone.” 

I don’t have to remind you to tell your children to be extra careful crossing the street. “Sixty-two percent of child pedestrian traffic fatalities occurred mid-block, rather than at intersections.” Also tell them not to assume a car will stop. Motorists may have trouble seeing them, particularly if their costumes are dark. 

“Stay on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk,” HealthyChildren says. “If no sidewalk is available walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.” 

Children should only go to homes with a porch light on and, ideally, a well-lit pathway. And, when they get to these lighted houses, unless it’s their grandmother’s, tell them not to go in. Sadly, there are people who don’t have children’s best interest in mind when they open their doors. 

HealthyChildren also says to review with your children how to call 911. And they also say to talk to the kids about the risk of distracted walking. “This includes text messaging, talking on or looking at their cell phone and listening to music.” 

I’m going to assume that by now you’ve chosen your children’s costumes. And since the weather is going to be chilly — low 40s — and possibly rainy, they’ll need to dress warmly. When you bundle them up, make sure they can see and be seen. And if part of their costume included a cane or sword or any other sharp object, have them leave it at home. 

I grew up in a small neighborhood where everyone knew everyone. So, even though we were instructed not to eat any of our treats, we would eat the homemade ones before we got home because we knew mother would throw those away. In today’s world I’ll tell you to instruct your children not to eat any of their treats until you can inspect them. Although tampering is rare, cannabis edibles look like regular candy, and I’m told that laced brownies taste the same as those without THC. That’s scarier than my mother’s fear of an unhygienic kitchen, isn’t it? 

“Keep in mind that babies and toddlers should not have hard candies, caramel apples, popcorn, gum, small candies (jellybeans, etc.), gummy candy, pumpkin seeds or anything with whole nuts. Candy wrappers, stickers, small toys or temporary tattoos can be a choking hazard, too,” HealthyChildren says. 

They say to ration the treats over the next days or weeks, depending on the size of the haul. They say that it’s “a great opportunity to teach your kids about moderation, balance and healthful indulging.” I say, good luck with that. I actually had a dentist tell me that he preferred kids to gobble up all the candy on Halloween. He said that having all that sugar on their teeth for just one day was far less damaging than eating it over a period of a week or two. 

And finally, if you haven’t carved your pumpkin yet there are some risks you need to know about. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that lacerations and puncture wounds make up 55% of Halloween-related injuries. And most of them are caused by carving a pumpkin. They even have a name for it, it’s “Holiday Hand.” 

HealthyChildren says we should “never allow small children to carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers. Parents can do the cutting and then let little ones clean out the inside pulp and seeds.” They also suggest using battery-operated flameless candles, flashlights or glow sticks instead of candles. 

Bonner General Health Emergency Department is open every hour of every day. But we’d much prefer you to have a Happy Halloween. 

Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.