PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Halloween night is next Tuesday, and local authorities are reminding parents to make sure your children are wearing safe costumes, inspect their candy, and be extra cautious on the roadways.
Kids have their costumes picked out and candy bags ready for an exciting night of trick-or-treating. It’s important for residents to take precautions to keep the little ghouls and goblins safe.
“Make the pathway safe for kids that are going to be running up,” said Bay County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Ruth Corley. “They’re going to be excited and they want to get candy. Make sure it’s well-lit. Don’t have open flames on your front porch. That could be very dangerous.”
Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult while trick-or-treating, and they should wait for an adult to check their candy before eating it. Candy that looks like it’s been opened or altered should be thrown away.
“When they get candy they shouldn’t immediately eat it. You want to be able to examine every package, make sure it’s still sealed, and don’t eat home-baked goods or fruit. You don’t know what may have been done to it.”
Many party-goers will also be out celebrating Halloween this weekend. Sheriff’s officials are reminding adults to avoid drinking and driving,
“If you’re going to be doing adult celebrating, of course, we’re going to remind you again. Don’t drink and drive. Get a designated driver, or use Uber or a taxi,” said Corley.
Everyone should use extra caution on the road when coming home from work Tuesday night.
“You’re not going to see them to the very last instant. So keep that situation in mind. And crawl. I mean, five miles an hour, maybe in a neighborhood, you want to be very, very careful.”
If you see any suspicious activity or find candy that was tampered with in your child’s bag, call the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and make a report.
