Keep Halloween Safe With These Tips From UAB Experts

By Bob Shepard

Keeping kids, teens and even adults safe on Halloween can be a daunting task.

A 2010 study in Pediatrics showed that Halloween had the fourth-highest number of emergency room visits among holidays, and children ages 10-14 had the most injuries, over 30 percent of the total. Experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham weighed in with tips on how to stay safe this year.

“There is no one primary cause for Halloween-related injuries,” said David Schwebel, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychology and director of the UAB Youth Safety Lab. “Ill-fitting costumes can cause falls and obstruct vision, trick-or-treating in the dark can create risks for pedestrians, and wielding a knife to carve the jack-o’-lantern presents its own set of problems.”

Schwebel said parents need to set expectations for their trick-or-treating children regarding when and where they can go, making sure children are not out late unsupervised.

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