Health experts warn of hidden dangers of Halloween
Halloween in Australia is on the fast track to overtaking Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day when it comes to popularity. And the reasons why are definitely surprising.
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Halloween in Australia is on the fast track to overtaking Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day, research has found.
The soaring popularity of the event continues to surprise many as ten years ago it wasn’t even on the average Australian’s radar.
The phenomenal rise of Halloween parties, trick or treating and fancy-dress events is down to several reasons.
The main one, according to market research company McCrindle, is “social connection”.
“Firstly, it is commercially driven in a flat time of year,” social researcher Ashley Fell said.
“Secondly, there is less tradition associated with Halloween in Australia, and so unlike Christmas or Easter, there is nothing much sacred about Halloween and people therefore have more freedom to interpret and celebrate it in the way they want to.
“Thirdly, generational change is also playing a part. Today’s parents (Gen Y’s) have grown up seeing Halloween on social media and streaming services from the US, which is translating to more of them embracing it with their young families.”
Ms Fell said trick or treating — which has become a massive craze for Australian children — gives families the opportunity to “engage and connect with their neighbours and local community”.
But as the extraordinary popularity of Halloween in Australia soars, horror enthusiasts are being warned there are risks when it comes to dressing up.
With their garish make-up and unsettling eyes, the Joker – as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix – and Pennywise, the evil clown from the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel It, are this year’s biggest trending costumes.
Health experts have pointed to the hidden side effects of the novelty contact lenses and cheap make-up that are being snapped up by Halloween fanatics for their fancy-dress costumes.
Optometry Australia’s Chief Clinical Officer Luk Arundel told News Corp Australia novelty contact lenses were often marketed to teens and young people who were unlikely to be aware of the dangers.
“There is a legal loophole in Australia surrounding the sale of contacts that are not prescription lenses.
“Contact lenses aren’t toys,” he said. “They need to be prescribed and handled with care and the users need to properly instructed how to use them in order to avoid contamination.
“The biggest risk is when a person goes to bed still wearing the contact lenses, which can often happen after a big night such as a Halloween party.”
Mr Arundel, who specialises in the fitting of contact lenses at the University of Melbourne, said complications arising from the use of novelty lenses include inflammation, burning, stinging, discharge and pink eye.
The most serious risk to a user is an eye ulcer, which can scar the clear part of the eye and permanently affect the sufferer’s vision.
Costume contact lenses are made from inferior materials, he said, which can impede the flow of oxygen to the eye.
Halloween fans wanting to recreate Joaquin Phoenix’s heavily made-up face in Joker also need to be aware of the risks.
Mr Arundel said the use of hypo-allergenic make-up that is kind to eyes and skin is “definitely a plus”.
He also warned against glitter, which can get lodged in a person’s eye, and cheap false eyelashes, which can cause allergic reactions.
He urged anyone with an issue to visit their local optometrist so the problem could be managed in the early stages and warned against “trying to soldier on”.
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Manager of Melbourne institution Creative Costumes Dale Pruser said this year’s big costume trends for parties and trick or treating are “pop culture driven”.
Sales of costumes, wigs and prosthetics have soared due to the boom in Halloween-related parties and events.
Aside from the Joker and Pennywise, other popular choices include characters from the Netflix hits Stranger Things and Money Heist.
Retail giants Woolworths and Coles are also cashing in on the trend.
This year Woolworths is expecting to sell more than 200,000 kilograms of Aussie-grown pumpkins nationally, 20 per cent more than last year.
Coles is predicting it will sell 260 tonnes of Aussie carving pumpkins, with many customers pairing their pumpkins with carved Aussie pineapples and watermelons.