Last Updated on October 16, 2019 by Morris Green

Notorious for Binge Drinking

For many of us, holidays are a time for socializing and celebrating. These times of getting together often come with large amounts of drinking. With thousands of house parties, college parties, bar festivities and public events, the rate of binge drinking is so large that it is recognized as a “well-known drinking day”. But sometimes the excessive holiday drinking relates to more serious reasons such as peer pressure and emotional coping. The holiday of Halloween is also known to be one of the most dangerous when it comes to intoxicated driving.

DUIs and Crashes on Halloween Night

The holiday season, between the months of October and January, has the highest counts of DUI related incidents and citations. Halloween, often celebrated with candy and costumes for kids, is celebrated by young adults and even some teens with late-night alcohol consumption. Statistics report that 44% of US fatal crashes on Halloween night involve drivers with an average BAC of 0.08. From the times of 6pm and 6am on the night of Halloween, there has been over 150 reported DUI related crashes resulting in a fatality.

According to a felony DUI law expert, Josephine Hallam, BAC levels of 0.08 is the minimum illegal level to operate a vehicle, which can lead to at least a misdemeanor citation or even jail time in some states. For teens, any traceable amount of alcohol can result in a DUI.

Tips for Parents

It’s a fact that Halloween festivities can be celebrated without consumption of alcohol or putting other’s in lives in danger with drinking and driving. Here are some ideas we’d like to share with teens, parents and adults about other ways you can celebrate Halloween safely and alcohol free.

Encourage Safety for Your Teens

At the beginning of adulthood, teens want to spend time with their friends and try new things. Being a parent of teenage kids can get worrisome when you think about their safety and influences. As a parent, you should take the time to talk to your child about their plans for Halloween. Are they going out? Are they going to a party?

Don’t stress about having a serious conversation. Keep it open and keep it friendly. Ask them about their plans, what time they’ll be leaving and what activities they’ll be participating in. But be sure to mention the risk of engaging in things like alcohol and drugs. Let them know you want them to have fun. But also let them know you want them to get home safely. Parents have a responsibility to inform and influence their children. Show them that you care.

Share the Evening with Your Younger Children

Halloween is a fun filled night for your children. Make it special and share the experience with them. For parents with kids under 10, consider accompanying them to either trick-or-treating or helping with supervision at Halloween get-togethers.

Here’s a few more ways you can help your children have a safe fun filled Halloween:

• Plan and design a group costume with your child for trick-or-treating. Keep in mind, using bright colors or even light up accessories can make them visible to others.
• If your child has been invited to their friends’ Halloween party, reach out to the parents and ask if they need any help with the festivities or supervision.
• Before the day of, make sure your kids know about nighttime traffic safety. This is important for all children’s safety. Halloween is a heavy foot-traffic holiday. Pedestrians and especially drivers should take extra care on the night of the 31^st.
• Depending on your neighborhood, you might have the option to trick-or-treat with your children during the daytime. Find out what time your neighborhood commences trick-or treating or check with local shopping centers. Local businesses often provide safe and controlled environments for kids to trick-or-treat

Tips for Young Adults

Young adults, if you are participating in the evening festivities, here a few tips you can keep in mind to have an exciting, and worry-free night:

Be the Designated Driver

It might sound like the boring job or a chore. But, being the designated driver for the night helps prevent holiday DUIs and accidents. In this case you’ll be able to join your friends, and have a solid reason not to participate in drinking. Although, it sounds like babysitting your friends, keep in mind, the role of the designated driver is greatly appreciated, and you are making the roads a bit safer.

Find a Ticketed Event

Halloween has a ton of fun local events that you and your friends can attend that aren’t limited to drinking activities. Here’s a few suggestions:

• Walkthrough Haunted Houses and Mazes
• Halloween Themed Concerts
• Fairs and festivals
• Historic Haunted Tours
• Keep it simple, go to the movies and catch a horror flick

At Home Halloween Ideas

Would you rather kick-back and take it easy this Halloween? Not really in the “going out” type? Don’t worry you can still participate in the festivities with these simple ideas you can do from the comfort of your home.

Hand Out Candy

If you aren’t the party type, but have the Halloween spirit, one of the best things you can do is hold down the fort and pass out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Make their nights memorable, and decorate your place like a haunted house. Come up with a fun costume to wear when you answer the door.

Movie Night

If you know Halloween, then you know that it’s the best night to grab a couple of friends and have them over for a movie marathon. Call up some buddies, make some snacks, grab bags of candy and settle in for a full night of campy horror.

Practice Your Culinary Skills with Halloween Baking

There is an endless galaxy of Halloween recipes for baking, edible snacks and non-alcoholic drinks you can spend the night making. Even better yet, make it a baking party! Buy bulks of baking supplies and have a few friends over to create some delicious ideas!