With the Halloween season reaching its peak this week — Halloween itself is this Friday — we urge all of our readers to enjoy the festivities in a safe and responsible manner.
Halloween has come a long way since we were children and carried those little cardboard UNICEF donation boxes for the world’s starving children, which we would turn in the next day to the Sisters of St. Joseph at our parochial school, Our Lady of Grace in Chelsea.
Halloween has become big business in recent decades. Americans will spend over $13 billion on candy, costumes, and decorations to celebrate the holiday this year, up from $3.3 billion in 2005.
Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore — it has become as much a party season for adults as it is for children.
There are two things that are absolute musts for every adult who will be partaking in the fun. First and foremost, no one should be driving under the influence. Arrests for drunk driving typically spike during the Halloween season. If you plan on drinking, either go with a designated driver or use an Uber or Lyft. Moreover, those who are hosting Hallloween parties should make sure that their guests are okay to drive home — friends don’t let friends drive drunk.
Second, as for Halloween Night itself, every person operating an automobile should take care to drive with extreme caution and care and to be on the look-out for little trick-or-treaters. Every motorist should be sure to drive extra slowly and well below the speed limit.
We also would add that parents of teenagers have a big responsibility to ensure that their children — and yes, teens are children — are home early and are not drinking. Parents should set an early curfew for their teens and ‘tweens to make sure they stay out of trouble.
Each of us needs to do our part to make sure that neither ourselves nor our loved ones are added to the grim statistics of the Halloween season.