CPSC Urges Safety for Halloween Trick-or-Treaters
Press Release # 03-025
Transcript
(View of the CPSC and Dunkin Donuts postes featuring trick-or-treaters dressed in Halloween costumes.)
CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton speaks "We think at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that the most important guidelines that we provide the parents is to make sure that you have costumes of flame resistant fabric and that fabric typically consists of nylon or polyester. You can buy them that way or if you are going to make them, make sure you make them out of nylon or polyester that's flame resistant."
"Reflective tape is a good idea. When trick-or-treaters go out, use refective tape to put on the costume and to make sure that they can be seen as well as possible in the neighborhoods."
"We feel that children should wear masks that have good visibility and are easy to breathe through. For instance, you have a mask like this [Chairman holds up a ghost mask] where you can't see through the eye holes, that's dangerous. If you do go out and get a mask, get one like this one [Chairman holds up another mask and demonstrates how the mask allows easier visibility] that has good visibility and you can see."
"If, however, you don't want to deal with the mask issue, you can use makeup or use face paint to make your own virtual mask and then you don't have to deal with the mask issue. But we're not telling people not to wear masks, we're just telling them to make sure you get a safe one that has good visibility."
"We've got a project going in conjunction with Dunkin Donuts, where we are running safety programs around the country with local police departments, and with our local investigators in various areas where they are coming out and providing seminars for families when it comes to Halloween safety."
"I would just encourage everybody to celebrate Halloween the way they want to do it and to go about their business the way they want to do it and be safe and vigilant and have a great Halloween. Its important to children, its important to my kids, they look forward to it as much as Christmas and we look at it as a real family event. Make it a family event, be safe and have a lot of fun."
Dunkin Donuts Vice President speaks "Dunkin Donuts Mind Your Munchkin Program is really our opportunity to reach out to the community, working with the CPSC, working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure that our customers, our Munchkin lovers have a great and safe Halloween."
"The Dunkin Donuts Mind Your Munchkin Program features a Halloweeen Tip Sheet that will be available in all of our stores as well as online at dunkindonuts.com."
"One of the really exciting elements of the program is our connection to police departments and CPSC officials around the country where we are giving seminars in various Dunkin Donuts stores and in community locations."
"The Dunkin Donuts Mind Your Munchkin Program is about safety and being safe this Halloween which feature a Halloween Safety Tip sheet in our stores which consumers can pick up online as well as some other fun itmes for kids to decorate and to take advantage of face painting tips."
(Views of a person putting a flame on a fire resistant Halloween costume. The flame burns out, the costume does not completely burn. Various views of children dressed in costume trick or treating in a neighborhood. View of parent applying reflective tape to a child's costume.)
(Views of the Dunkin Donuts website and Mind Your Munchkin Program promotions. Views of safety seminar at Dunkin Donuts given by local police.)
End.