The New Halloween Horror: Why You Must Inspect Every Piece of Your Child’s Candy

The Texas Department of Public Safety Has Halloween Safety Tips!

The Keeping Texas Families Safe Initiative For Halloween

Halloween is almost here and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s “Keeping Texas Families Safe” initiative is offering tips to stay safe during the holiday. In a department press release, Homeland Security Division Chief Gerald Brown said “Keeping Texas families safe starts with awareness and action. This Halloween, let’s be prepared, stay aware and help ensure every Texan can enjoy the season safely.”

Safely Store Your Firearms ‘Especially” on Halloween

For many Texans, Halloween means parties and visitors. Because of this, take extra care to lock up your firearms. You can download a safe storage checklist from DPS’ Safe Storage Campaign. Visit safegunstoragetexas.com to find options.

Know the Dangers of Fentanyl

In the past, parents checked for blades or other items in candy. In 2025, candy needs to be checked for drugs as well. Just ONE PILL laced with 2 milligrams of fentanyl can take someone’s life.

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Go Trick or Treating the Safe Way

The Texas Department of Public Safety provides tips for a safe Halloween.

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See and Be Seen!

Ensure costumes are bright and reflective by adding reflective tape to darker costumes to help drivers see trick-or-treaters at night. You can also Carry glow sticks, flashlights or wearable lights to increase overall visibility.

Also, use face paint instead of masks that can make it more difficult to see. To avoid being hit, use sidewalks and crosswalks.

More Safety Tips from the Texas Department of Public Safety

1.Use soft and flexible accessories that are not sharp.

2.Only visit well-lit houses

3.Have a prearranged meet up location

4.Travel with adult supervision

5.Make sure children know the phone number of an adult and how to call 911 in case they become lost.

6.Parents need to check all candy before eating. Never consume any items that don’t have a wrapper.

7.Know the neighborhood, visit the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry, which includes a map of where the registered sex offenders reside in a given area.