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Dressing up as your favorite princess or superhero on October 31 is a childhood tradition, but teens and adults don鈥檛 want to be left out of the fun, either.

Not only are we thinking about costumes and buying candy sooner than ever, more Americans will be having a ghoulishly good time this year than ever before鈥攖he National Retail Federation that a record 170 million people plan on celebrating Halloween 2012. (Oh, and despite the 鈥渂ad economy,鈥� the average person plans on spending around $80 on costumes, candy and decorations.)

Happy Halloween! Celebrate Safely!

If you鈥檒l be dressing up and hitting the Halloween parties, always remember that some people play tricks that aren鈥檛 so treat-like. You don鈥檛 want to become a real ghost, so celebrate safe with this Halloween safety advice:

1. Never go out alone. Parents have been reminding their kids to travel in groups on Halloween for decades, and the advice holds true for high school and college students, too. Avoid walking down poorly-lit streets and areas of campus after dark. Sidewalks are for pedestrians鈥攗se them. Don鈥檛 stroll down the middle of the street just because you haven鈥檛 seen any cars yet.

2. Watch your drink. If you鈥檙e of legal drinking age 鈥� never accept a drink from someone that you don鈥檛 know. Better yet, mix your own drinks at parties. Don鈥檛 ever leave your cup unattended鈥攊f you set it down for a few minutes and forget and walk away, get a new drink. (Some people only drink bottled beverages that they opened themselves because someone could easily spike the already-opened bottles of sodas, mixers, or even liquor.)

3. Watch the roads. First things first鈥攄on鈥檛 ever drink and drive! Alcohol is present at most Halloween parties that aren鈥檛 kid-centric; so if at all possible, don鈥檛 get behind the wheel on Halloween night. Don鈥檛 ever allow a friend to get behind the wheel if they鈥檝e been drinking. If you absolutely must drive somewhere, be extra careful. Even though you know that you shouldn鈥檛 drink and drive, other people are not so smart and aren鈥檛 obeying that law.

4. Only wear a costume that allows you to move normally. Halloween is a great time to let yourself have fun, but if your dress is so long you鈥檙e tripping over it鈥攐r so short and tight that you鈥檙e constantly yanking it downward鈥攖he simple act of getting around becomes a chore. If you鈥檙e going to wear heels, make sure you can actually walk in them. If glasses, sunglasses, or goggles are part of your costume, make sure you can see!

5. Speaking of 鈥渕ake sure you can see,鈥� even though changing the color of your eyes might sound like a great addition to your Halloween costume, don鈥檛 ever wear contacts that you didn鈥檛 purchase from and eye doctor or licensed optical center. Decorative or Halloween contact lenses can cause serious eye damage and even blindness.

6. Don鈥檛 carry toy weapons. For your own safety and the safety of others, don鈥檛 carry toy weapons that could easily be confused for the real thing.

7. Ask for ID. If you鈥檙e stopped by law enforcement, campus security, or any other type of 鈥渙fficial,鈥� always ask for official identification. Someone wearing a realistic-looking costume—and carrying a realistic toy weapon, see above!—could be posing as a police officer.

8. Carry your phone at all times. It might not go with your Nicki Minaj costume or Catwoman suit, but your phone will be your lifeline if you get separated from your friends. A simple 鈥淲here did you go?鈥� or 鈥淐ome get me now!鈥� text could literally save your life.

9. Know your surroundings. Don鈥檛 go to parties at a friend of a friend of a friend鈥檚 house. Stick to places you鈥檙e familiar and comfortable with. Halloween night isn鈥檛 the best time to go out exploring unknown territories.

10. Find out who is crashing at your place. If your roommates are having friends spend the night, find out who they are. It鈥檚 easier for unwelcome guests to go unnoticed on Halloween night, when most people are in costume.

Whatever your costume may be this Halloween, always use your best judgment and stay safe!

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Posted on 29 Oct

Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the 911吃瓜网 of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.