THE Western Trust is reminding everyone young and old to stay safe this Hallowe’en to avoid preventable attendances to its emergency departments.
Dr James Steele, Consultant in Emergency Medicine based at Altnagelvin Hospital commented: “Halloween is traditionally an extremely busy time of the year for all the emergency services and particularly for our Western Trust staff working in the Emergency Department.
“Myself and my colleagues in the Emergency Department hope that people will keep themselves safe this Halloween avoiding the need for hospital care.
“If people are using fireworks as part of the Halloween festivities I would hope that they can enjoy them safely.
“Although fireworks can be entertaining and exciting, particularly for the younger members of our community, they can be extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury if not handled properly.
“It is important to remind people of how dangerous sparklers can be and that they are extremely hot for some time after the sparkler has gone out and can cause serious burns.
“Many people will be coming to enjoy the traditional Halloween celebrations in their local towns and larger events in the city which can be great fun.
“It is important that people enjoying themselves at the festivities think how their behaviour impacts on other people.”
He added: “While we understand that everyone wants to have fun, we would like to urge the general public to be extra safe and if they are consuming alcohol that they do so sensibly and know their limits.
“I would ask parents and adults to be extra vigilant and prevent underage alcohol or drug abuse to prevent any activities attributing to injury.
“This will all help to make the Halloween celebrations an enjoyable one for all involved.
“Drinking alcohol doesn’t need to be part of the night.
“For young people, drinking alcohol is harmful as your body is still developing.
“Binge drinking makes you ill and damages your health, increasing risk of accidents and assaults.”
The Fire and Rescue Service is also urging the public to stay safe over the Hallowe’en festivities.
Geoff Somerville, Assistant Group Commander says: “We want everyone to enjoy themselves this Halloween but to do so safely and responsibly.
“Fireworks and sparklers can be dangerous and without proper supervision they can cause serious injury.
“Last year 15 people attended Emergency Departments across Northern Ireland with firework-related injuries with 13 of these aged under 18.
“We appeal to the public, parents, young people and community leaders to always follow the Firework Code and ensure that fireworks and sparklers are used safely and in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
“Plan any firework display in advance to make it both safe and enjoyable.
“We are also asking parents to be aware of the potential dangers of their children wearing fancy dress costumes, either shop bought or home-made.
“Make sure that children are properly supervised at all times; keep them away from fireworks, or open flames such as candles, pumpkins with candles in them and bonfires.
“If their costume catches fire remember STOP, DROP and ROLL to quickly extinguish the flames.
“We have made significant strides in reducing the number of incidents we attend on Halloween night over the past few years – with the lowest on record in 2014.
“We want to return to this downward trend and are asking people to act responsibly to help us in protecting our community.
“Halloween should be a time of enjoyment and fun for everyone and by following a few basic safety rules and by always putting safety first you can help ensure it’s a night for treats not tragedies.”
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