Get Healthy Carson City: Have a Safe Halloween and Enjoy the Nevada Day Parade

This week's events: https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2021/oct/27/nevada-day-and-halloween-weekend-events/

This column appears in the Nevada Appeal Wednesday health pages. It addresses topics related to the health of our community.

The Carson City Sheriff’s Office wishes everyone a safe and fun Halloween. Here are a few safety recommendations when you are out trick or treating:
• Check your candy and treats for choking hazards and tampering before you eat them. It’s best to eat factory-wrapped treats only and to avoid eating homemade treats made by people you don’t know.
• Try to avoid trick-or-treating alone, and make sure that kids walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
Never allow a child to enter a home unless you are with them, and only stop at well-lit houses when you trick-or-treat.
• Wear reflective tape on your costume and consider putting some on your bags to help drivers see you at night.
• Holding a flashlight or glow-sticks while you trick-or-treat will help you and your kids be seen by those driving vehicles.
• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Teach children to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them.
• Always walk on sidewalks or paths.
• Remember to walk and not run from house to house.
• Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, falls, and injuries.

The Nevada Day parade is a family friendly celebration of our Statehood. Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure everyone has fun at the parade:
• Arrive early to the parade so you will have a safe spot to watch the parade. Consider positioning yourself so that when the parade is over you can leave on a route that will have less foot traffic.
• Make sure young children know they can go to a Sheriff’s Deputy if they become lost. For older children, agree on a meeting spot in case your group becomes separated.
• Find a safe place to park, preferably in a spot that will not cause you to be blocked into traffic when the parade ends.
• Make sure to always stay behind the designated barriers.
• Pay attention to your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office.
• If you are planning on consuming alcoholic beverages during the festivities, designate a driver before the event.
• Bring food and water. The parade is a popular event and can make access to our restaurants and convenience stores difficult due to the crowds. Think about packing some food and water, just in case getting into a restaurant or store is more difficult than expected.
• Dress appropriately to protect yourself from the elements like the hot sun, snow or rain. Make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen.
• If you are attending the parade in a large group, consider using a buddy system so that an older person is in charge of keeping track of the younger children in the group