Spring Break - Staying Safe!

It's great to break free for Spring Break and visit places you've only read or heard about - but it's all too easy for your vacation to become a horror show! Read on for safety tips to make your Spring Break as much fun as it can be without endangering your life or your possessions!

Safety planning for Spring Break should start long before you get on that plane or bus. Chart out your itinerary with your travel agent and/or your parents and leave a detailed list of where you're going to be staying with contact numbers as well as what days you're going to be staying where. It may seem like a silly routine to go through if you're only staying at one hotel with friends, but if you fall ill or go missing your parents and the authorities need that information to locate you as well as alert others to your status. Include airline flight numbers and if possible the number of your hotel room as well as those of your friends. This way if your parents or the authorities can't get in contact with you they can try to reach your friends.

Now that you've reached your Spring Break destination let's make sure that you're able to get back home again! Place your return airline tickets, passport and all major identification that you won't need on your vacation in the hotel safe as soon as possible after arriving. There's nothing worse than having your passport stolen while in a foreign country and there are horror tales galore of students losing their return airline tickets and having to either purchase new ones at extravagant prices or having to negotiate with friends and family on how to get home.

Many students love to room with friends during Spring Break to save money, but it's also a good way to keep safe! Having more than one person in your room means that if you don't show up for breakfast or for some other event that your presence will be noticed a lot faster than if you were rooming alone.

And while you and your roommate are checking out Spring Break events, make sure to keep your friends close. Don't go off with locals or new "friends" alone and place yourself in a potentially dangerous situation. If your new pals want to show you the sights or take you elsewhere than where you are right now, be sure to take along a friend or three. It may seem awkward to set up a double or triple-date but it'll prove to be safer in the long run than going off with one or two strangers who may not have your best interests at heart.

The bars aren't guaranteed to be safe either. With the proliferation of "date rape" drugs such as GHB it takes only seconds for someone to drug your drink while you're enjoying the sights and sounds of your Spring Break location. And when you take ill your new "friend" will graciously offer to take you back to your hotel, possibly leading to a dangerous situation or at the least an uncomfortable few hours. Make arrangements with your friends to monitor your drinks as much as possible and to never leave alone with anyone you don't know outside of your group. It may put a bit of a damper on your social activities, but in retrospect you may be glad for the continued company of your friends.

If you fall ill it may not be from an attempt to drug your drink, it could also just be jet lag or a reaction to a different food - but don't take any illness lightly.

Many people these days take prescription drugs for ailments such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. When you travel be sure to have these pills in their original prescription bottles and with extra pills to spare for your time away from home. While most countries have good health care and access to these drugs you'll have a hard time getting resupplied without knowing a local doctor or the procedures involved.

Be aware of your prescription drugs and keep a small list of your medical problems on hand in case the worst happens and you need medical attention either due to a medical condition or an accident of some sort. Depending on your personal situation it may also be a good idea to have copies of your medical records on hand. There's nothing worse than being admitted to a hospital in a strange country and trying to explain your medications or medical situation to someone who's not familiar with your past or who can't speak your language. Again, having a friend around to help out will save both time and trouble not to mention lessen the stress on all involved.

Not budgeting for your trip can also lead to dangerous situations as well. Running out of cash or maxing out your credit card long before the end of your trip can do more than just put a damper on your plans. They can also place you in a situation where you may end up with some unsavory offers from even more unsavory men for illegal means. Keep close track of your money and budget ahead of time for a great time on your Spring Break.

Spring Break can be a wild and adventrous to a foreign country but it can also lead to dangerous situations if something goes sour. It may seem odd to worry about such things ahead of time but a little foresight and planning can make sure that your Spring Break is as safe and sound as possible with little worry for anyone involved.