As the spookiest holiday of the year steadily approaches, Carbon County Sheriff Jeff Wood took time to speak on all things Halloween, particularly safety for all.
He began by stating that every year, the sheriff’s office is out in various neighborhoods to distribute candy to the local youth. The neighborhoods where they can be found include Westwood and areas in North Price.
Turning toward safety tips, Sheriff Wood stated that they like to emphasize simple, easy things for kids to have a safe Halloween. To start, costume safety is a priority and they wish to educate adults and children on its importance. All costumes and accessories should be fire resistant and parents should take care to have reflective tape on costumes or bags or have their children carry glow sticks for easy visibility.
“Here’s one people don’t think about: make sure when the kids come home they remove all of their makeup before bed,” shared Sheriff Wood. He stated that this is to ensure that their eyes and other areas are not infected by the lingering makeup residue.
Adults should accompany children in neighborhood routes or ensure that the children know which route they should take. Groups should be gathered and kids should never trick or treat alone or enter a home.
The sheriff continued by saying that planning the routes and having possible boundaries for the children is always helpful. Making sure there is a set time to be home and stressing that a child never enters a stranger’s vehicle is also prudent. In addition, children should not eat any treats until they are home so they can be inspected.
Electronic devices should also be put away in order to lessen distractions while on foot. As always, those that are crossing a street should look both ways. Those that see the sheriff’s office out and about should not run up to them; the officers will approach the trick-or-treaters and chat while handing out candy.
Motorists should keep an eye out for kids as they likely won’t be watching as closely during the excitement of the holiday. Checking for children entering and exiting driveways and alleys, as well as looking out for darker costumes, should be a high priority for any that are behind the wheel. Finally, Sheriff Wood stated that new drivers should be discouraged from driving on Halloween due to the higher foot traffic.
Brittney Garff, Public Information Officer for the Southeast Utah Health Department, also took time to shed light on safety during this exciting holiday. She stated that face masks are still important, and costume masks are not a safe substitute for COVID-19 masks. Those that are handing out treats are encouraged to distribute them outdoors or to don a face mask and keep hand sanitizer readily available.
Garff also suggests ensuring that shoes fit well and costumes are short enough to prevent tripping. She went on to stress the importance of watching for automobiles, as Halloween is one of the biggest nights for pedestrian injuries in the United States.