Marion County Health officials offer tips for a safe Halloween

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Marion County has a few tips to keep children safe as they trick or treat this Halloween.

Officials say children should wear brightly colored costumes or clothes, and carry flashlights or glow sticks to be better seen.

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Read: Expect a warm Halloween evening while the kids go trick-or-treating

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of child pedestrian fatalities found that between 1975 and 1996, four children died each year on Halloween on average, compared to 1.1 deaths every other day of the year.

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Parents are also reminded to always inspect all candy that kids collect.

Health officials say to make sure all candy is properly wrapped and to check for signs of tampering or an unusual appearance or discoloration.

Read: Halloween in downtown Orlando to see increased safety measures

They say the best advice is, “If you doubt, toss it out!”

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