Remember when you were still young enough to go trick-or-treating without being judged? After you came back home from your quest, your parents would always check your candy to make sure there was nothing potentially dangerous. Well, even though there are few cases of poisoned candy and razor blade apples in Georgia, students need to be aware of the other dangers on October 31.

The majority of the upperclassmen at NFHS have their driver’s licenses and the opportunity to drive themselves to the costume parties and hangout sessions that their friends are hosting. The danger with the number of teenagers driving on Halloween is that the risk of a trick-or-treater dying due to a pedestrian-car collision doubles. Everyone must be aware of their surroundings when searching their neighborhood for delicious sweets. Of course, NFHS students should also be careful and pay extra attention to groups of children and other reckless drivers.

There are lots of potential threats during the Halloween season, but students at North Forsyth High school have there own views on the dangers of the holiday. When asked what she thought was the most dangerous part of Halloween,  freshman Catherine Phillips said, “Teens drinking.” Let’s face it, those who are driving should not drink and drive, especially on a crazy holiday such as Halloween. Due to all the Halloween parties, which are bound to be unsupervised, alcohol and some illegal substances are going to be used. Although drinking under the age of 21 and being in the possession of drugs is illegal and definitely not recommended, it happens. If teenagers do decide to drink, they should have a plan for how to get home, like calling an uber or having a designated driver in their group of friends. That way Halloween is only filled with the safe kind of tricks

One of the other beloved Halloween traditions besides trick-or-treating is carving faces into innocent pumpkins. This activity isn’t necessarily dangerous as long as the carver knows how to properly use a knife, but there is the occasional case of someone severing their finger, so be careful.

The biggest concern with jack-o’-lanterns, however, is the open flame that brings the pumpkin carcass back to life. Some Halloween costumes are very loose and flowy, increasing the opportunity for the costume to catch fire. And it’s not only the costumes that can catch fire due to jack-o-lanterns: certain types of decorations, like the stringy spider webs, hay, hanging cloth and other easily flammable adornments, are also at risk.

Also make sure to be aware of the number of outlets your haunted house (or regular house) is using. Overloaded outlets can easily cause fires. Be observant of your home and the Halloween decorations placed around it. If it comes to it, limit the number of spooky accessories put up this fall.

Everyone knows about the Halloween vandalism that occurs during the late hours of the night–the egging of houses and cars and the toilet paper on houses and in trees–but other forms of crime take place during the night on Halloween. Last year, in Macon, Georgia, three people were killed and two were injured during Halloween shootings. A Miami resident pulled a knife on four people during a Halloween party in 2012. Again in 2012, three women were killed due to a horrified stampede of partiers. The crime spike is an annual occurrence on this holiday. Studies have shown that Halloween has the highest crime spike of any holiday, but no one really knows why.

Some ways to stay safe from any criminals or vandals is to ALWAYS have your phone on you and ALWAYS travel in a group. The buddy system works great for holidays like this one. Trust your gut; if something doesn’t feel right at a party or social gathering, leave with a friend. If you’re able, park any cars behind the house to avoid any vandalism towards your car. Protecting your home is a bit harder, but a fun way to prevent any vandalism toward your house is to dress up as a police officer and sit on the front porch. No one would dare try anything then.

Halloween is meant for horrifying fun children experience every year, and this list helps prevent those horror films from coming to life in your home.