News Release

For Immediate Release                  Contact:  Irene G. Warren, Director of Development

October 23, 2003                              (937) 374-5626 or 1-866-858-3588

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS FOR
GREENE COUNTY RESIDENTS

(Xenia, OH) Greene County Combined Health District and the Safe Communities Program shares safety tips for ghosts and goblins to get home safely on Halloween.

Protect children during Halloween with these quick safety tips to keep children safe during the witching hours: children should walk with an adult or in pairs or groups; carry identification in a pocket or pinned inside the costume (never have identification visible to strangers); make sure costumes fit well; wear costumes with reflective clothing; eyeholes in masks should be wide enough to see clearly; stay on sidewalks or paths; cross streets at crosswalks or well lit intersections; avoid dark alleys; carry flashlights; after dark, trick or treat only at homes with an outside light on; plan a route and follow it.; and have parents check treats before they are eaten.

 Tips for motorists: Slow down; watch for children walking on roads, medians, and curbs; enter and exit driveways carefully; be alert for children darting out from between parked vehicles, bushes and shrubs; never drink and drive tonight or any night; and if you are partying, designate and driver.

Tips for pedestrians: before crossing a street, stop at curb and look right, look left and look right again; continue to check traffic while on the street; walk never run from house to house or across the road; cross street only at intersections and crosswalks; when crossing at an intersection, be sure to watch for turning cars; obey all pedestrian signals; walk on sidewalks whenever possible; and if there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the street facing traffic.

The Safe Communities Program was developed through the Ohio Department of Public Safety to establish and/or expand community partnerships to create safer, healthier communities throughout Ohio.

For additional information on Halloween Safety, contact Greene County Combined Health District, Beth Player, Safe Communities Program Coordinator at 937-3374-5600 or

1-866-858-3588.

Greene County Combined Health District – Your center for public health services and health information in Greene County for over 70 years.

Healthy People…Healthy Communities