Free Halloween Candy X-Rays At Patient First Centers

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Halloween is a time for fun and frights. Unfortunately, it's a time when our children are most vulnerable. To help make trick-or-treating safe for the little monsters, Patient First is offering free X-rays of Halloween candy and reminding residents to practice safety throughout the night.

"An adult should always inspect the candy before allowing a child to enjoy the sweet rewards of their trick-or-treating," said David Clark, the community relations manager at Patient First, in a company statement.

"This free X-ray offer is an additional precaution parents may consider," he added. "It will help provide parents peace of mind about the treats their children receive by possibly detecting objects like glass, metal or plastic. Parents still need to provide supervision, since some foreign materials may not appear in X-rays."

You can bring your bags of candy to any Patient First Neighborhood Medical Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 3. Patient First also is giving away free safety blinkers for the rest of the month, while supplies last.

Here's a list of Patient First locations in Anne Arundel County:

• Annapolis, 2051 West St. (443) 603-0758
• Glen Burnie, 7116 Ritchie Highway (443) 577-0277
• Pasadena, 8105 Ritchie Highway (443) 573-0564
• Odenton, 1110 Annapolis Road (443) 351-3917
• Laurel, 3357B Corridor Marketplace (301) 497-1820

Corridor Marketplace is a shopping center on the south side of Laurel Fort Meade Road (Route 198) just west of the interchange with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Patient First reminds everyone to have a plan, stay vigilant and be safe. Here are five safety tips:

1. Know the route that your children will take if you do not go with them
2. Younger children should go with adults
3. If possible, give your children a cell phone and check in with them during the evening
4. Set a time for everyone to be home
5. Nobody eats their treats until checked by an adult

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Image: Patient First