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Tips to keep your child safe while trick-or-treating
halloween
The Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Department will hold its annual Trick or Treat event on Thursday at the Ag Complex off Langston Chapel Road.

The day for trick-or-treating is here and parents should be aware that while it can be a fun time for children to dress up and collect candy, it can also be dangerous. Before taking your children out on Halloween, here are several safety tips to know about and follow.

Have your children wear flame-resistant costumes

While it is much safer to use a glow stick or a tea light with batteries in your jack-o-lantern, many people still use candles to light the pumpkins on their doorsteps. Children should wear flame-resistant costumes so they can safely maneuver around those flames while trick-or-treating, according to a news release from the American Red Cross.

Use a flashlight and reflective items

Trick-or-treating is often done in the dark, so children and their parents should always have a flashlight to walk around safely. Kids should also have some type of reflective tape on their costume — especially if it's dark colored — to ensure that passing motorists will see them when they cross the street, the American Red Cross said.

Don’t let children under 12 go alone

Parents should always accompany children under the age of 12 while they are trick-or-treating, according to a National Safety Council news release. Parents should also plan a trick-or-treating route for their kids and avoid areas they are unfamiliar with or that are not well-lit.

Children should also travel in groups and never trick-or-treat alone.

Be cautious of which treats to eat

With all the candy and tasty treats that children acquire on Halloween, parents need to make sure to feed their children a meal before they go out so they aren’t hungry and don’t make themselves sick with too much sugar, advises to the National Safety Council.

Parents should also insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten, and tell children to only eat factory-wrapped treats. Avoid any homemade treats unless you know the cook well. And “when in doubt, throw it out,” the National Safety Council says.

Always stay on the sidewalk

Children and parents should always travel on the sidewalk while trick-or-treating. Kids should stay out of the road unless crossing the street, and always use a designated crosswalk area. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the far edge of the road facing traffic, the National Safety Council says.

Children should stay on the sidewalk and avoid crossing the lawn where unseen objects and uneven ground can present tripping hazards.

Always stay on the porch and only visit homes with lights on

Parents should tell their children to never enter a home where they are trick-or-treating unless they know the family well, the American Red Cross said. The children should accept the treats on the porch and should only visit homes that have their porch lights on.

By using these guidelines, parents and children will have a safer experience this Halloween.

Contact Faith Heaton Jolley at fheaton@ksl.com.


Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.