One of the first things a person with diabetes learns is to avoid foods with lots of sugar. Diabetes affects the body's ability to utilize sugar and, as a result, elevates blood glucose levels. Since most candy is loaded with sugar, parents of children with diabetes may need a few tricks to treat their kids on Halloween.

LifeScan, the leading manufacturer of blood glucose meters for people with diabetes, suggests the following Halloween tips for parents:

• Help your child host his own Halloween party. Rather than going trick-or-treating, he can invite several friends over for fun, games and delicious sugar-free treats. This will enable you to better control the foods he eats.

• Arrange to buy all of your child's candy after trick-or-treating. Later, you can take her shopping to buy a toy or game with the money that she "earned."

• Pre-arrange trick-or-treat stops at the homes of relatives and friends. Describe the circumstances and suggest alternatives to candy, such as simple toys, stickers, and other whimsical trinkets.

• Help your child to bake sugarless cookies or other foods to take to school for Halloween. This will help classmates become more aware of the many sugarless foods that taste good.

LifeScan also suggests teaching your children the importance of proper nutrition and self-monitoring of blood glucose levels early on, to help them learn how to best manage their diabetes.

At present, there is no cure for diabetes. But with regular self-monitoring of blood glucose levels and a proper combination of diet, exercise and medication, people with diabetes can and do lead active, healthy lives. To learn more about diabetes, LifeScan offers a free 24-hour educational service called Tele-Library, which enables callers to access the latest diabetes information (via tape-recorded messages) in English and Spanish. Call toll-free 1 800 847-SCAN.

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