As Halloween approaches, parents need to follow certain guidelines to
ensure
a safe holiday for their children.  Jon Thompson, director of the
University
of Virginia's Blue Ridge Poison Center, offers the following tips:
* Always accompany your children for trick-or-treating, and make the
visits at dusk or early evening;

* Limit your children's visits to the immediate neighborhood and homes
of friends or acquaintances;

*	Never allow children to open or eat any treats before returning
home;

* Check through all treats before giving them to children.  Any treats
with punctured, torn or unsealed wrappers should be thrown away.  Any
homemade items should be discarded unless you are certain of the source.
When in doubt, throw it out!

*	Give out only individually wrapped candies at your own house;

*	Costumes should be flame-resistant and should be visible with
light-reflective areas;

*	Face paints, adhesives and glitters should be made of non-toxic
material; and

* Make sure that children can see and breathe easily through masks.

For more information, call the Blue Ridge Poison Center at
1-800-451-1428.

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October 20, 1998
Jon Thompson, director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center, is available for
interviews by calling (804) 924-0347.