Forewarned is forearmed on Halloween
With the excitement of costumes and parties on Halloween, it’s easy to forget about the added responsibility.
“Halloween is going to be especially dangerous this year because it’s on a Friday, everyone will be going out, including all the children,” Mission Viejo Sheriffs Department Community Programs Director Marilyn MacDougall said.
Remember that this is a holiday widely celebrated by children. It is a fun holiday for everybody, but take responsibility. Make safe choices for others’ sakes, if not for your own.
“It’s a day about younger children too. The innocence of remembering what [Halloween] was about bubbles into ‘boozism,'” MacDougall said.
We’ve all seen signs and heard it over and over, don’t drink and drive, but how many of us truly get the message?
“Use good judgment. Little kids dart across the street, you’re the one with the wheel, pay attention,” MacDougall said.
When it’s 3 a.m. and you’re already hung over, uncomfortable in your Halloween costume and all you want to do is sleep in your own bed, it’s tempting to just get in your car and drive home.
Please do not attempt this. Not only are there going to be police on every corner, there’s going to be ten other people in your same situation on the road, and at least one of them is much more intoxicated than they thought.
“If you have a party, be a responsible host, don’t let your friends drive with any alcohol in their system, ANY alcohol,” MacDougall said.
Not everyone in their twenties is interested in getting sloshed at a Halloween party, some choose to indulge in a little nostalgia by taking part in the wonderful childhood pastime, trick-or-treating.
Halloween is everybody’s holiday, and not just for college students. Don’t forget: there will be kids out on Friday.