To those who choose to participate in the holiday; safety issues is the biggest, rightfully so, issue. This is a huge holiday where, unfortunately in this country today, parent(s) as well as children of all ages, need to be especially mindful of their personal safety and well-being. We here at www.safetyissues.com, take this topic extremely seriously and are going to address what we believe to be the most important thoughts to keep in mind as Halloween comes upon us further into our blog. As you read them, they might strike you as pure common sense, and many of them are, but as we all know, on holidays we all tend to “let down our guard”, especially children, leading us to horrific consequences that can occur as the result of one overlooked act.

Because of some of these accidents and tragedies that have occurred in the past, some cities throughout the country have actually put into place laws to insure the safety of its citizens. In Port Washington North, New York, an affluent suburb of Long Island known as the Gold Coast, for 20 years now, curfew begins for anyone under the age of 19, at 7 p.m. on October 30th and 31st and does not end until 6 am on November 1st. If anyone this law applies to is found breaking it, they are taken into custody, parent(s) are called and they face a penalty of up to $250 and/or 15 days in jail.

Since this enactment 20 years ago, many, many cities across the country have adopted a similar curfew for anyone under the age of 19.

There is, however, another “side”, if you will, to this issue. Immense denunciation of these curfews by civil right advocates; advocating these laws violate the First Amendment right to free expression, which includes, “the right to travel around freely” is becoming increasingly louder. Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, states, “In general, curfews are antithetical to the founding principles of free society, where the freedom to travel about is protected. That also protects children. It is up to parents whether Junior can go out, not the town fathers, any more than town fathers would determine a child’s bedtime.”

The curfew supporters, however, have the lure of the tradition of Halloween on their side. Historically, Halloween mischief, egg throwing, tree toilet paper rolling, shaving cream on cars and teenage mobs rampaging through streets, has given way to include, razors in distributed candy, rapes, kidnappings, poisoned treats and severe property damage. Halloween continues to evoke an allure of danger while at the same time, presenting an innocent holiday for children to dress up and go and retrieve candy, all for the sake of fun.

If you choose to celebrate this traditional American holiday, please pay head to the Halloween Safety Tips listed below:

For Trick-or-Treaters:

• Carry a flashlight
• Stay on sidewalks
• Obey traffic signals
• Walk, don’t run
• Don’t cut across yards or driveways
• Stay in familiar neighborhoods
• Make sure costumes don’t drag on the ground
• Shoes should fit, whether they go with the costume or not
• Avoid wearing masks
• Carry only flexible knives, swords or other props
• If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic
• Wear clothing with reflective markings
• Go only to houses that are lit
• Stay away from any animals you do not know

For Parents:

• Make sure your child eats dinner before heading out
• Children should have either cell phones or coins to use on a pay phone to call home
• Young children should be accompanied by an adult
• If your children go out on their own, make sure they wear a watch that they can see
• If they are wearing a costume, make sure it is flame-retardant and has reflective markings on it
• Older children must know when to be home and how to reach you
• Know where your older children are going
• Tell your children to bring all candy and treats received home before eating
• Any candy that is not wrapped or any that looks suspect, throw it out

For Homeowners:

• Make sure your yard is clear of obstacles and all pets are inside
• Pets get frightened on Halloween. Protect them
• Battery powered pumpkins are preferable to real flame
• If you do use real candles, make sure the pumpkin is well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing
• Healthy treats are a great alternative to candy. Items such as crackers, single serve packages of cereal, packaged fruit rolls and mini boxes of raisins are just a few examples.

Yet still the question remains; do curfews violate the Constitution of this country? Is personal safety an issue that the government, seemingly becoming more and more in control of, should have the right to have control of? Is it not a matter of individual choice how and to what degree we may or may not want to celebrate our holidays, including Halloween?

What is your stance on this issue? Irregardless, we want to hear from you! Simply click our comment tab to leave your thoughts, feelings or any other comments you may have and wish to share on this topic.

Safe Living,

Yovette Mumford

P.S.  The best way to have fun this Halloween is to be safe! Halloween costumes can really be scary if they don’t fit properly, so always make sure your childrens costumes are comfortable and properly sized. Make this Halloween the best ever by reviewing the great safety rules addressed on safteyissues.com, then go out and have a blast Trick or Treating! Happy Halloween!