Caution urged on scariest night

Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2001 | 9:53 a.m.

Recent terrorist attacks and anthrax incidents may be making this Halloween scarier than past ones.

But while Las Vegas safety experts are more worried about traditional trick-or-treating dangers -- inattentive kids crossing streets or costumes that aren't flame retardant -- they note that fear and caution generated by the Sept. 11 attacks could be a good thing Wednesday night.

"If the concerns over what is going on in the world right now are making people more conscientious about safety, that's fine," Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said. "A little fear or concern makes us more careful, more cautious."

"Naturally, concerns about potential terrorist activity have put a lot of people on edge," Clark County Safe Kids Coalition spokeswoman Sharon Chayra said. "But our concerns this year are similar to the ones we've had in past years -- drivers not looking for kids who rush into traffic, costumes that are not flame retardant and children wearing restrictive masks."

While rumors have been spread on the Internet about adulteration of candy, the coalition, the lead agency in local Halloween safety, has received no reports from law enforcement on the validity of any threats, Chayra said.

But apparently the prospects of such dangers are causing some parents to change their Halloween traditions.

"There are many alternatives to trick-or-treating, like Halloween bashes in private homes or people giving out small but safe toys and non-toxic tattoos (labels) instead of candy," Chayra said.

Halloween fairs such as trick-or-treating at the Galleria Mall at Sunset in Henderson or "Safe Street" at Opportunity Village, 6300 W. Oakey Blvd., are recommended as alternatives. Safe Street, 4-8 p.m. daily through Wednesday, costs $3 for adults and $2 for children.

"Of course, children are urged not to eat any of their candy until their parents examine it," Chayra said.

Summerlin Hospital for a third straight year is offering candy screening 7-9 p.m. Wednesday. In the past two years, the hospital has attracted about 50 people a night for the service, hospital spokeswoman Stacy Lee-Harrington said.

X-rays detect sharp, metal objects in treats, but the screenings cannot detect poisons such as powdered anthrax, experts say. Chayra, however, said the danger of Halloween car accidents and burn incidents far outweigh the possibility of children being poisoned or cut by tainted treats.

Chayra warns that although some Halloween costumes are labeled "flame retardant," others are not. Sometimes, she said, flame-retardant costumes hang next to non-flame-retardant outfits on the same rack in stores.

Leinbach said materials such as 100 percent cotton are flame retardant while a 50-50 cotton-polyester mix is dangerous, because if the costume catches fire, it not only burns but also melts.

Flashlights and glow wands are recommended to improve vision, as is the use of makeup instead of masks.