Each year, poison centers manage numerous exposure cases involving Halloween-related substances, like candy, glow sticks, and special cosmetics.
Hear from Dr. Christopher Holstege, director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at UVA, and the co-medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center, about simple precautions to take in order to prevent accidental poisoning this Halloween.
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Halloween Safety Tips
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Learn more about Dr. Christopher Holstege
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Christopher Holstege, MD
Dr. Christopher Holstege is director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at UVA, and the co-medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center.Learn more about Dr. Christopher Holstege
Learn more about UVA Health System
Transcription:
Halloween Safety Tips
Melanie Cole (Host): Each year poison centers manage numerous exposure cases during Halloween and Halloween related substances like candy glow sticks and special cosmetics. My guest today is Dr. Christopher Holstege. He's the Director in the Division of Medical Toxicology at UVA and the Co-Medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Holstege. So, what risks exist to kids and adults celebrating Halloween in terms of toxicology and your specialty?
Dr. Christopher Holstege (Guest): Having been a parent of 6 children and having gone through this many times personally as well as many years of working with the Poison Center, very rare to have problems from a toxicology standpoint.
Melanie: So, those days when we used to hear that people put things in the candy, it doesn't happen quite as much as people might realize.
Dr. Holstege: No, it does not. It's very rare that those occur and I think most people are very safe in regards to what they're putting in their mouths.
Melanie: That's great to hear for parents, certainly, but there are some other hazards from the emergency medical standpoint that happen at Halloween that as parents we have to worry about. Now, the first one I think about when our kids get a little older and they can go out on their own, Dr. Holstege, the cars and traffic and running across streets to get to the next house.
Dr. Holstege: Correct, and I agree with you on that. It's dark out, kids are going from house to house, there are impediments that may be out in the yards, for example, that they don't see. In fact, I remember one time when I was walking with a group of kids as a parent, he walked right into a black mailbox and never saw it. So, making sure that they are paying attention to where they're walking and not looking at their cellphones, which certainly will blind them as they're walking. Wearing reflective items. We always hand out, for example, glow sticks to kids so that they would have those, so then hopefully cars would see them.
Melanie: So, back to the toxicology for a second with glow sticks. If those things leak, which they do quite often, and they get on you, is that stuff dangerous?
Dr. Holstege: No, in fact if you look at the majority of the times, the glow sticks that you buy in the United States are kids safe and they are not going to cause a problem from a toxicology standpoint. You can always look in the package to make sure that's indeed true.
Melanie: Okay, so we're not going to be as worried about the candy but cars and traffic certainly making sure our children are seen, that the cars can see them and that they know really where they are going and what's in front of them. And, what about some of the things that they use to get into costume? There are cosmetics and contact lenses that have different colors. Do you have a feeling about any of those?
Dr. Holstege: Yes, I think you need to be careful of the mask, for example, things that are causing visual impediments so that they can't see well which will also put them at risk for running into things or not having good peripheral vision when they're crossing streets. Contact lenses, you have to be careful. Some are meant more for adults versus kids. I would talk to the store you're buying it from to make sure it's kid appropriate. Other things on costumes, even things that cause costumes to light up, they need to be careful with and, certainly, very young kids. Some have those small batteries. If they come out, they can put them in their mouth and can swallow them. That can be a big deal.
Melanie: And, what about carving pumpkins? Now they've got these new kind of knives. But, in the day, would you see kids getting hurt from doing this or do the parents mostly do it? What about that?
Dr. Holstege: Yes, absolutely. We did see kids, and we still do see kids, getting hurt from that--using knives. I think most parents are very careful but the kids want to carve their own pumpkins. They have these great carving knives that you can get now that are serrated and blunt that are much lower risk than say, a steak knife that you may take out of your kitchen. But, the kids just aren't used to using those knives and they may still slip through and cut them and we certainly have seen plenty of injuries from that in the past.
Melanie: And, while we're just talking about Halloween and Halloween safety, let's just delve a little bit into the nutrition factor. You're a doctor. What do you tell your kids and your friends' kids about maybe eating before they go out or eating candy while they're walking? Just the whole general idea of Halloween.
Dr. Holstege: Well, it's a fun time for kids. They get a large array of candies and many full of sugar. Absolutely. They should eat a full meal before they go out so that they will be at least somewhat satiated; they won't gorge on the candy. And, be reasonable about how much of that candy they eat. Again, having six kids, it's hard to control that as they're walking with a bag full of very sweet items that taste good to them and in an interesting array and they are going to be at risk for getting sick if they eat too much of that.
Melanie: As a father and a doctor, how do you decide as a parent when your child is able to go out with their friends without a parent?
Dr. Holstege: It's a difficult question. And, the reason I say that is it probably depends on your neighborhood you're in. I was always very cautious with my kids and there are different ages that parents will want their children out. It depends on the group they're with, too. It's certainly the younger ages, I think by age 12, my kids were starting to ask to go out on their own. My youngest now is just turning 14 this year and this will probably be the first year that I will let her go out with a large group of friends, very well understanding the route they are taking, not going down dark alleys, following a very clear picture and the next thing is now, with some of the phone capabilities, you can actually have devices that follow those kids where you can actually follow and see exactly where they are in the neighborhoods.
Melanie: Rock on with that! I like that idea. So, that parents can see. You can even maybe Skype your kids while they are doing it so that you can see exactly where they are. What about as parents giving out candy? Do you want to be the parent on the street that gives out raisins or pencils or what do you do?
Dr. Holstege: No, we give out the typical variety of candy that you'll buy in the store. But, again, I think everything in moderation. Certainly, there are parents who will give out healthy items, I think. But the most important thing that comes across in today's environment, unless you really know the house you're getting them from is people are getting pre-packaged things that are sealed to assure that indeed those items are safe as well as you can, as opposed to things that may be unwrapped or homemade.
Melanie: So, wrap it up for us with this great advice, Dr. Holstege. For Halloween safety all around, for parents and their kids.
Dr. Holstege: Stay in a group, make sure that their vision is not impeded by what they are wearing, keep them with materials, either things that glow on their clothes or glow sticks, flashlights so they are well lit up as they're moving around the neighborhood, assure that your older kids have a planned route so you know where to find them and eat healthy before they leave the home as, hopefully, kids will be eating candy in moderation while they're having a fun night. Finally, the Poison Centers are always available 24/7. Their phone number is 1-800-222-1222 for any questions on candy, cosmetics. Please feel free to give them a call. They'd love to talk to you about that for safety reasons.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us. What a great topic. You're listening to UVA Health Systems Radio and, for more information, you can go to www.uvahealth.com. That's www.uvahealth.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Halloween Safety Tips
Melanie Cole (Host): Each year poison centers manage numerous exposure cases during Halloween and Halloween related substances like candy glow sticks and special cosmetics. My guest today is Dr. Christopher Holstege. He's the Director in the Division of Medical Toxicology at UVA and the Co-Medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Holstege. So, what risks exist to kids and adults celebrating Halloween in terms of toxicology and your specialty?
Dr. Christopher Holstege (Guest): Having been a parent of 6 children and having gone through this many times personally as well as many years of working with the Poison Center, very rare to have problems from a toxicology standpoint.
Melanie: So, those days when we used to hear that people put things in the candy, it doesn't happen quite as much as people might realize.
Dr. Holstege: No, it does not. It's very rare that those occur and I think most people are very safe in regards to what they're putting in their mouths.
Melanie: That's great to hear for parents, certainly, but there are some other hazards from the emergency medical standpoint that happen at Halloween that as parents we have to worry about. Now, the first one I think about when our kids get a little older and they can go out on their own, Dr. Holstege, the cars and traffic and running across streets to get to the next house.
Dr. Holstege: Correct, and I agree with you on that. It's dark out, kids are going from house to house, there are impediments that may be out in the yards, for example, that they don't see. In fact, I remember one time when I was walking with a group of kids as a parent, he walked right into a black mailbox and never saw it. So, making sure that they are paying attention to where they're walking and not looking at their cellphones, which certainly will blind them as they're walking. Wearing reflective items. We always hand out, for example, glow sticks to kids so that they would have those, so then hopefully cars would see them.
Melanie: So, back to the toxicology for a second with glow sticks. If those things leak, which they do quite often, and they get on you, is that stuff dangerous?
Dr. Holstege: No, in fact if you look at the majority of the times, the glow sticks that you buy in the United States are kids safe and they are not going to cause a problem from a toxicology standpoint. You can always look in the package to make sure that's indeed true.
Melanie: Okay, so we're not going to be as worried about the candy but cars and traffic certainly making sure our children are seen, that the cars can see them and that they know really where they are going and what's in front of them. And, what about some of the things that they use to get into costume? There are cosmetics and contact lenses that have different colors. Do you have a feeling about any of those?
Dr. Holstege: Yes, I think you need to be careful of the mask, for example, things that are causing visual impediments so that they can't see well which will also put them at risk for running into things or not having good peripheral vision when they're crossing streets. Contact lenses, you have to be careful. Some are meant more for adults versus kids. I would talk to the store you're buying it from to make sure it's kid appropriate. Other things on costumes, even things that cause costumes to light up, they need to be careful with and, certainly, very young kids. Some have those small batteries. If they come out, they can put them in their mouth and can swallow them. That can be a big deal.
Melanie: And, what about carving pumpkins? Now they've got these new kind of knives. But, in the day, would you see kids getting hurt from doing this or do the parents mostly do it? What about that?
Dr. Holstege: Yes, absolutely. We did see kids, and we still do see kids, getting hurt from that--using knives. I think most parents are very careful but the kids want to carve their own pumpkins. They have these great carving knives that you can get now that are serrated and blunt that are much lower risk than say, a steak knife that you may take out of your kitchen. But, the kids just aren't used to using those knives and they may still slip through and cut them and we certainly have seen plenty of injuries from that in the past.
Melanie: And, while we're just talking about Halloween and Halloween safety, let's just delve a little bit into the nutrition factor. You're a doctor. What do you tell your kids and your friends' kids about maybe eating before they go out or eating candy while they're walking? Just the whole general idea of Halloween.
Dr. Holstege: Well, it's a fun time for kids. They get a large array of candies and many full of sugar. Absolutely. They should eat a full meal before they go out so that they will be at least somewhat satiated; they won't gorge on the candy. And, be reasonable about how much of that candy they eat. Again, having six kids, it's hard to control that as they're walking with a bag full of very sweet items that taste good to them and in an interesting array and they are going to be at risk for getting sick if they eat too much of that.
Melanie: As a father and a doctor, how do you decide as a parent when your child is able to go out with their friends without a parent?
Dr. Holstege: It's a difficult question. And, the reason I say that is it probably depends on your neighborhood you're in. I was always very cautious with my kids and there are different ages that parents will want their children out. It depends on the group they're with, too. It's certainly the younger ages, I think by age 12, my kids were starting to ask to go out on their own. My youngest now is just turning 14 this year and this will probably be the first year that I will let her go out with a large group of friends, very well understanding the route they are taking, not going down dark alleys, following a very clear picture and the next thing is now, with some of the phone capabilities, you can actually have devices that follow those kids where you can actually follow and see exactly where they are in the neighborhoods.
Melanie: Rock on with that! I like that idea. So, that parents can see. You can even maybe Skype your kids while they are doing it so that you can see exactly where they are. What about as parents giving out candy? Do you want to be the parent on the street that gives out raisins or pencils or what do you do?
Dr. Holstege: No, we give out the typical variety of candy that you'll buy in the store. But, again, I think everything in moderation. Certainly, there are parents who will give out healthy items, I think. But the most important thing that comes across in today's environment, unless you really know the house you're getting them from is people are getting pre-packaged things that are sealed to assure that indeed those items are safe as well as you can, as opposed to things that may be unwrapped or homemade.
Melanie: So, wrap it up for us with this great advice, Dr. Holstege. For Halloween safety all around, for parents and their kids.
Dr. Holstege: Stay in a group, make sure that their vision is not impeded by what they are wearing, keep them with materials, either things that glow on their clothes or glow sticks, flashlights so they are well lit up as they're moving around the neighborhood, assure that your older kids have a planned route so you know where to find them and eat healthy before they leave the home as, hopefully, kids will be eating candy in moderation while they're having a fun night. Finally, the Poison Centers are always available 24/7. Their phone number is 1-800-222-1222 for any questions on candy, cosmetics. Please feel free to give them a call. They'd love to talk to you about that for safety reasons.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us. What a great topic. You're listening to UVA Health Systems Radio and, for more information, you can go to www.uvahealth.com. That's www.uvahealth.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.