State Rep. McAsey Urges Families to Take Precautions on Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, state Rep. Emily McAsey is reminding parents to take steps to help keep their children safe while trick-or-treating.

“Halloween is an exciting time of the year for children,” McAsey said. “It is also a time when parents should keep some important safety tips in mind while trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. Please join me in sharing these tips with family and friends.”

McAsey offered the following tips on how families can keep safe during Halloween:

• Choose a costume made of flame retardant material;
• Add reflective tape to the costume or bag your child is using;
• Make sure that props such as knives or swords are made out of flexible material, so that they don’t pose a hazard if fallen on;
• Have an adult chaperone for young kids that are trick-or-treating and have older children stay in large groups;
• Carry a flashlight;
• Stick to well-lit houses in familiar neighborhoods only and stay on sidewalks when possible;
• Drive slowly;
• Instruct your children to bring all candy home before eating it so that you can carefully inspect it for tampering;
• Throw out all candy or treats that are homemade, unwrapped or have holes or tears in the packaging;
• Remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys from young children’s bags.

“By just remembering these important suggestions, we can make sure that our children are able to make lasting memories,” McAsey said. “I wish everyone a fun and safe Halloween.”

For more information, contact McAsey’s full-time constituent service office at 815-372-0085.