Contact: Michael Fraser, (518) 455-3751
Halloween is a holiday that brings the whole family together for a wide-range of outdoor activities taking place throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Monday is one of the most highly anticipated holidays for children, and a time to remind everyone about necessary precautions. With so many people celebrating Halloween outside at night, the risk of an accident increases greatly, making it important everyone remains safe and vigilant.
GOING FROM DOOR TO DOOR
Seeing people on the side of the road at night is difficult enough, but groups of children in dark costumes make it even more dangerous. To help drivers see your children better and to help your children avoid obstacles, carry a flash light. If your child's costume is a dark color, placing reflective tape on trick-or-treat bags is another way to keep them visible. Don't assume all drivers will stop for pedestrians, especially if they are tough to see, and make sure the driver stops before your group crosses the street.
While it's important that drivers are on the lookout for children, it's also imperative that a costume doesn't reduce your child's visibility. If the costume requires a mask, make sure the eye holes are big enough and don't obstruct peripheral vision. While everyone wants the best looking costume, purchasing non-prescription, decorative contact lenses should be avoided as they can cause pain, irritation and even blindness.
For other Halloween safety tips, visit http://www.nsc.org/learn/safety-knowledge/Pages/halloween-safety.aspx
HEALTHY HALLOWEEN
The idea of trick-or-treating is to get a big bag of treats, but those treats don't all have to be candy. There are many different items to hand out to trick-or-treaters to supplement candy ranging from glow sticks to spider rings to themed pencils or erasers. According to a list of Halloween Food and Safety Tips for Parents by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ensuring that children have a light meal before they go out will cut down on them wanting to snack while they are collecting candy.
There are incentive programs offered by many dentists to encourage children to trade in their candy for cash so the candy can be sent to troops overseas. A Halloween Candy Buy-Back Drive will be held from November 1-4 at Mattiacio Orthodontics in Farmington.
It's a great time of year full of festivities that everyone can enjoy. I encourage everyone to please be extra cautious in your travels so it's a safe and memorable day for all.
What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030 or email me at kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us.