Tips for Safe Halloween Trick-or-Treating

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Halloween is this weekend and ahead of the celebration, Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing tips for safe trick-or-treating. On Halloween, children from across the country don costumes and walk around neighborhoods in search of candy. Before parents take children trick-or-treating, Attorney General Moody recommends parents and guardians make clear plans for children’s trick-or-treating to avoid any real scares.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Halloween can be such a fun experience for children to dress up and go door-to-door collecting candy, but it can be scary if planning and safety precautions are not part of the festivities. If your child is trick-or-treating this weekend, be sure they know to walk in well-lit areas, stay in sight of a trusted adult and never enter a stranger’s house or vehicle.”

For a safe Halloween, Attorney General Moody suggests parents and guardians:

• Outline clear paths and boundaries for children to follow while trick-or-treating;
• Set a clear curfew or a certain time to return to a meeting location;
• Make sure everyone in the group knows the returning address, telephone number and how to call 911 in an emergency;
• Pair young children with trusted adults while walking in neighborhoods;
• Do not enter strangers’ homes or vehicles;
• Throw away candy that is unwrapped or looks to have been tampered with; and
• Watch for trick-or-treaters when driving—taking extra precaution at twilight and later in the evening.

Recently, counterfeit pills containing fentanyl began flooding the black market. Attorney General Moody asks that parents please talk to children about never taking a pill given by anyone. One pill can kill. For more information on counterfeit pills, click here.

Additionally, parents and guardians can visit the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website to see a list of all registered sex offenders and predators living within a five-mile radius of any Florida neighborhood. Florida law prohibits sex offenders from distributing candy or other items to children on Halloween. Attorney General Moody asks Floridians who encounter a sex offender giving out candy to notify authorities.

For more tips on how to further protect your children, view Attorney General Moody’s Crime Prevention guide here.