The Telescope

Issue Date: 3/15/10

Stay safe on Spring Break

Our Viewpoint

Spring Break is an important part of the college experience. After weeks of school and midterms, students might feel like they have earned the right to finally cut loose and go a little crazy. What they might not realize is that safety is also an important part of this experience, making it home safely is just as important as the destination.

Staycation
College students who choose to stay close to home for their vacation may feel like they can let their guard down but this is not the case. San Diegans take places like Mexico for granted because they feel like it's their backyard, but it is just as dangerous.

Police in border states like Texas are warning college students to stay out of Mexican border towns during spring break because cartel crime violence is on the rise, making the country unsafe for tourists, according to CNN.com.

Local Travel
If going to Mexico students should stay together in groups, use only licensed and regulated taxis and register their trips with the State Department in case of an emergency.

International Travel
For those going farther away, there are even more things to consider that they never may have thought about at home.

Studentsabroad.state.gov suggest that students, especially female students, research the local customs and laws of the places they visit before they go.

For students who chooses to drive while abroad, the State Department recommends that they acquire an International Driver's License, they are accepted in over 150 countries.

Leave tact at home
Travelers should also not feel the need to be too polite to locals, creating boundaries is an important part of being safe abroad. Even with a language barrier, a firm tone and strong facial expression can fend off unwanted advances.

Drinking
Spring break and drinking may seem like they go hand in hand, but drinking to excess can easily ruin any trip or life.

Seventeen hundred college students between the ages of 18 and 24 died last year as a result of excessive drinking, 696,000 where assaulted and 97,000 were raped or sexually assaulted according to collegedrinkingprevention.gov

Alcohol also leads to the majority of arrests on spring break so students should use discretion when drinking. Spending vacation in jail on drunk and disorderly charges isn't worth it for one night of fun.

Prescription and illicit drugs
While it might seem obvious to leave the drugs at home before traveling abroad, many may not realize that some prescription drugs are considered illegal in some foreign countries, so students should try to bring along the prescription or at least research beforehand to see if their specific medication is allowed.

With some advance preparation college students can make sure they get to see their next spring break.