Taking Safety Seriously Can Add to Halloween Fun

Ask children what they like best about Halloween and the answer is likely to be costumes and treats. But safety and visibility top parents' Halloween wish list. Neither has to be tricky if parents and children follow these suggestions from the Maryland Optometric Association (MOA).

The danger associated with contact lenses marketed and sold in novelty colors around Halloween makes ghosts and goblins seem downright timid. These lenses make eyes look red, on fire, or even look like cat eyes. However, contact lenses that are improperly manufactured or used without appropriate medical supervision can cause serious eye infections and loss of vision. In Maryland distributors of any device that goes into your eye must be licensed eye care providers. This means that you should NEVER buy contact lenses from a beauty salon or local market. All contact lenses require a written prescription, even if they are only for cosmetic purposes. These lenses can be obtained and worn safely if they are fitted by an optometrist. Should you ever encounter a beauty supply store that is distributing color contact lenses, call the Maryland Drug Control Bureau at 410-764-5910.

Children want to be scary and spooky; parents want them to be seen. Fortunately, says the association, make-up meets the specifications of both sides. Make-up offers children a safer, more natural view than that offered by masks, which may not fit well or have adequately-sized eye openings. With hypo allergenic makeup in scary colors and a parent's help in makeup artistry, a child can sport a customized disguise without hampering vision. Parents should take care to keep makeup particles and applicators out of children's eyes.

Costumes can be both frightful and visible if parents decorate them with iron or sew-on retro reflective fabric or tape or self-stick decals. Retro-reflective material is the most effective way to make children visible to drivers.

Optometric studies show that people who wear retro reflective material are visible to drivers even at speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour. By comparison, white material is visible only up to speeds of 50 mph. Be sure the material is placed so children are seen from the front, back and sides.

Adults can go even further to make Halloween safer for the younger set by making sure any holes in yards are filled, steps repaired and loose railings tightened. Porch or yard lights should also be turned on and property cleared of any lawn equipment or other objects that might trip a young child.

People who get behind the wheel Halloween night should be extra vigilant when traveling neighborhood roads, the association says. Reduce speed and make sure windshields, headlights and mirrors are clean. Drivers who have difficulty seeing at night should avoid driving on Halloween.

Have an adult accompany trick-or-treaters. Be sure children walk on sidewalks or yards, not in the street. Look both ways carefully at street crossings and try to cross at corners with street lights if possible. A battery-operated light or lantern adds an extra measure of visibility… and spookiness.

Halloween is a fun time for children, yet need not scare their parents. The key is to see and bee seen, says MOA. And by following these suggestions, both parents and children can make Halloween the treat of a holiday it was meant to be.