Albany, NY (Oct. 29) —With Halloween right around the corner, and H1N1 flu widespread across the country, the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York offers the following “tricks” to help parents and children celebrate safely:

• If your child is sick, keep him/her at home. This may be disappointing to your young one, but your neighbors and community are counting on you to do what you can to prevent the spread of H1N1.
• Remind kids to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth to keep germs away. Carry that hand sanitizer with you or have it near your candy dispensing area.
• If you are giving out candy, hand it out or scoop it, rather than having kids take their own from a bowl.
• Throw away any unwrapped candy and inspect the rest for choking hazards and tampering.

To help prevent other dangers, take the following steps for a safer Halloween:

• Use flame-resistant costumes.
• Plan your route and make sure adults know where children are going. A parent or responsible adult should accompany young children.
• Give your trick-or-treaters flashlights. Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing to be seen.
• Visit only the homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the door – never go inside.
• Instead of masks which can cover your eyes and make it hard to see, use face makeup.
• Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner. Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.
• Be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
• Sweep leaves from your sidewalks and steps, and clear your porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over.
• Restrain your pets.
• Use a glow stick instead of a candle in your jack-o-lantern to avoid a fire hazard (and to give it an extra-eerie glow!).

About the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York
ARCNENY helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Last year, nearly 1,000 residents of the Capital Region and surrounding areas were provided free, emergency assistance by ARCNENY after disasters such as fires, floods, and power outages. In addition, thousands were assisted by the Red Cross after the December 2008 ice storm; more than 700 victims received shelter with the Red Cross during that time.

The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money and blood from the American people to do its work. An average of 90 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. For more information about your local Red Cross, visit www.redcrossneny.org or call (518) 458-8111.