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Ghosts and goblins have nothing on the true threats trick-or-treaters could face during this year’s Halloween festivities.

Tainted candy and even costume materials are hazards that can genuinely make Halloween scary. Thankfully, health professionals at the are always on call. The Poison Center Help Line, 1-800-222-1222 is available 24 hours a day.

Unfortunately, children under age 6 are the number one victim of accidental poisonings. They can easily mistake medicine for candy. They don’t know what signs to look for before digging into their treats. And in the barrage of candy, a part of a costume can be mistaken for a treat.

The Poison Information Center received just under 36,000 human exposure calls last year, and almost half — about 17,000 — involved accidental ingestion in children under age 6. There were 700 calls from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 alone, including 135 calls on Halloween.

"Parents should be vigilant for malicious contamination and tampering of Halloween candy," said Jay L. Schauben, PharmD, DABAT, FAACT, director of the Poison Information Center. "Likewise, we can decrease the risk to children by using non-toxic paints and materials for costume design and by paying close attention to food and candy labels to prevent food allergies."

The following tips can help ensure a safe Halloween:

• Inspect all treats before any are consumed; immediately discard treats with puncture holes, tears or signs of re-wrapping.
• Feed children dinner before they go out or bring your own candy to give your children to reduce the urge to snack on treats that have not been inspected.
• Be extra careful with toddlers' goodies. Avoid choking hazards by allowing treats that are age-appropriate. Be careful with hard candy, gum, peanuts and toys with small parts.
• Caution children to not chew or bite on glow sticks or glow jewelry as these products contain an irritating chemical that may cause pain if it gets in their mouth, eyes or throat.
• If using dry ice for decorations, be aware that direct contact with the skin or mouth can cause a frostbite-type injury. Wash immediately with water.
• Wear reflective costumes in the dark or carry a flashlight.
• When in doubt, throw it out!

For more safety tips, visit the Poison Center’s website at .

In a poisoning emergency, don’t waste time searching the Internet. Call the Poison Center first at 1-800-222-1222 and a specialist in poison information will assist you. The Poison Center Help line is toll free and specialists are available 24 hours a day. The Florida/USVI Poison Information Center-Jacksonville is a cooperative effort between the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, ÂÜÀòÉç Jacksonville, the University of Florida Health Science Center – Jacksonville, and the state’s Department of Health.