Election Day and Healthy Halloween

This time of year we frequently see health and safety advice related to Halloween: 1) too much sugar promotes obesity; 2) sticky candy risks cavities while hard candy can break teeth or braces; 3) caution about unusual looking candy that may be poisoned; 4) pedestrian hazards when costumed children are out in the street; 5) knife injury risk from pumpkin carving; 6) adult alcohol abuse encouraged by beverage makers using Halloween-themed marketing.  All these are legitimate concerns which are addressed by health promotion advocates in different venues.

This year local, state and federal general elections come just two days after Halloween.  While the annual holiday is always October 31, Election Day is on the first Tuesday of November, some years as late as November 7.  For this reason, it is unusual for there to be so little separation between the two days, and such intense competition for the attention of the public.  It is hard to miss the comparison.

The election is like Halloween in a number of ways.  The holiday is about deception, with people presenting themselves as someone or something they are not.  So are the election campaigns.  Halloween generates spending and stimulates the economy.  So do the elections, with billions of dollars of campaign spending.  Halloween tries to scare people, such as with ghosts, vampires and pirates.  Elections scare people with the ugly, hateful things candidates say about each other.

In addition to the general comparisons, the health concerns of Halloween also apply to the elections.  Some campaign candy is dangerous because the promises may prove to be toxic.  Just like the holiday candy is very appealing but has no nutritional value, many of the campaign ads and promises are empty of ideas and careful thinking.  Just like trick-or-treaters are sometimes hit by big vehicles in the street, many times worthy ideas and genuine leadership are run over by big campaign budgets from special interests.  Finally, just as people may be injured while cutting out a jack-o-lantern, candidates and campaigns must suffer soul scars from the destructive words and actions they hear about themselves and say about others.

What I'm talking about is not really health promotion, though a significant part of health promotion takes place in the political system of which elections are an important part.  We rely on these leaders to craft and support important health policies, after surviving the very sordid affairs elections have become.

Both Halloween and elections as currently conducted are detrimental to health.  This generation of kids will survive another round of trick-or-treating and America will survive another election cycle.  However, it is hard to not believe that health promotion is in order for both.