Although Halloween is next wednesday, it’s never too early  for parents to begin to think about Halloween safety.

Holiday Harvest Festival-Two contestants in the Halloween costume contest at last year’s Holiday Harvest Festival at the Bisbee Farmers Market, a princess (Nora Froming of Bisbee) and a bumble bee (Christopher Smith of Double Adobe) added to the magical atmosphere. The farmers market will close its 2007 season with its annual Holiday Harvest Festival this Saturday in Vista Park from 8 a.m. to noon. Over fifty vendors will bring a wide selection of handmade arts and crafts, produce, plants, baked goods, pumpkins and chile ristras for holiday baking and decorating and unique gifts.

For children Halloween is a time to dress up and pretend to be their favorite characters. With all the fun and games, though, children are not always thinking about safety.

Every year on Halloween, many children suffer from automobile accidents, assaults, fire injuries, falls, poisoned or tainted treats, and other unnecessary miseries.

“Plan Halloween activities with your children in advance to ensure a safe evening,” said Marcus Gonzalez, the spokesman for the Douglas Police Department. “Be sure they know the possible dangers and how to avoid them.”

Gonzales said that if a parent or guardian discovers tainted treats, report it to the police department immediately. From there the police can do a follow up.

The best part of Halloween—besides all the candy— are the costumes. Parents need to think about the kinds of costumes children are going to wear.

“Have your children wear clothing or lights that are visible to vehicles on the roadway,” Gonzalez said.

Adding reflective material to clothing would help light up a child in a vehicle’s headlights from a distance.

Face paint is safer than masks because masks may not always provided adequate visibility. But if masks are going to be used, parents need to make sure that the eyeholes are big in order to provide visibility.

Other tips from the Douglas Police Department:

√ Do not allow your child to ride in the back of pickups or in vehicles with the doors open.

√ Only allow children to cross the streets when it is safe, after yielding the right of way to approaching vehicles.  Cross only at crosswalks if crosswalks are present.

√ Never assume that pedestrians have the “right of way” as that is seldom the case.

√ Tell your children to never accept rides from anyone, especially if they are dressed in costumes, as this makes them almost impossible to identify.

√ Only trick or treat at known houses to reduce all risks of injury, kidnapping, and poisoning.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!