Your child studies hard and deserves a break from the stress of high school or college life. You want them to have a memorable spring break. But you never imagined that “fun” could include showing it all off to a bunch of drunk frat boys, having sex with strangers, or passing out on a hotel balcony from drinking too much. Your teenager would never do that, right? Good?
Spring break is a time when even the most trustworthy and well-mannered youngsters can take the opportunity to release their inhibitions and treat themselves. Here are five of the biggest threats young people face on spring break, all of which can be prevented with your help:
#1 Excessive alcohol consumption
Spring break has become synonymous with binge drinking. A survey by the Journal of American College Health found that the average man consumes 18 alcoholic drinks per day and the average woman consumes 10 drinks per day during spring break. They drink about half of it until they pass out or get sick. Not surprisingly, alcohol is a factor in most accidents, arrests, violent crimes, and deaths during spring break.
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with a number of health problems, including liver disease, injury, brain damage, and alcohol poisoning. Surveys from the American Medical Association (AMA) suggest that during spring break, alcohol is cheap and readily available, regardless of age. Younger drinkers and those who normally drink little or nothing are at greater risk of acute harm if they increase their alcohol intake on spring break, according to a 2009 study in the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
Some teens go to spring break planning to get drunk, while others succumb to peer pressure, believing that drinking too much, dealing with a hangover, and then doing it again the next day seems like the normal thing to do. In groups, young people tend to act less rationally. According to a 2007 report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, students who go on vacation with friends dramatically increased their alcohol consumption (an average of 17.6 more drinks per week than usual).
#2 Drug Overdose
Many young people use spring break as an opportunity to experiment with drugs other than alcohol, especially marijuana and “club drugs” like ecstasy. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has warned that first-time use of marijuana and alcohol by teens spikes during spring break.
In addition to the health risks these drugs pose, many young people get their drugs wherever they are on vacation, which means they may not come from a reliable source, they may be mixed with other substances, or they may be more powerful than expected. . Young people also often overlook the potentially fatal consequences of mixing drugs and alcohol.
#3 Driving under the influence
Where there is alcohol, there is a danger of drunk driving. In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that drunk driving claimed the lives of more than 10,000 motorists, nearly a third of whom were alcohol related.
In popular spring break destinations, additional police officers are often hired during March and April to crack down on drunk driving, which could result in a suspended license, jail time, a fine, and a prison sentence. Criminal conviction on your permanent record. The combination of alcohol, friends, and the beach also increases the risk of young people being distracted while driving (due to cell phones, text messages, or noisy passengers) and alcohol-related accidents, such as drowning.
#4 risky sex
With their judgment clouded by drugs or alcohol, some young partygoers engage in risky sexual behavior that they later regret. Others make vacation plans with the goal of getting laid. According to a study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 18 percent of college students made a pact with their peers to “have sex without a condom” and 5.2 percent made pacts to “have sex with someone new.”
According to AMA surveys, 74 percent of college women said spring break results in increased sexual activity. More than half of college students know friends who were sexually active with more than one partner during spring break, and nearly three in five women know friends who had unprotected sex during that time.
In addition to the obvious risks of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (many of which perhaps peak between March and May), AMA surveys show that more than half of college women are promiscuous not necessarily because they want to. be, but because it allows them to fit in. One in five regretted having sexual activity during spring break, and 12 percent felt forced or pressured into having sex.
#5 Crime
Drinking alcohol dramatically increases the risk of rape and sexual violence. During spring break, hospitals across the country are reporting an increase in rapes, injuries, assaults, deaths, and arrests. A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that intentional poisonings (including date rape drugs such as Rohypnol, ketamine and GHB) caused nearly 15,000 emergency room visits in 2009. In Daytona, Florida, a popular spring break spot, officials have reported double the number of rape cases during the spring break month.
Where your child goes for spring break can be just as important as who they go with and what they do. Some places, like Orlando and West Palm Beach, have been ranked among the most dangerous spring break getaways. If your child is planning a trip to Las Vegas, Key West, South Padre Island, Daytona Beach, or Myrtle Beach, she’s headed for what Forbes calls the “junkiest spring break destinations” for 2012.
Young people who travel to foreign countries (particularly in recent years, Mexico) should be aware of the additional risks, especially if they leave popular tourist areas. In the past, crimes against US citizens have included drug-related violence, robbery, rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, and murder. Those who violate the laws of the country they are visiting may be subject to harsher penalties and more complex legal problems than they would face in their homeland.
It’s never too early to talk
Spring break offers a great opportunity for parents to talk about the dangers of unprotected sex, excessive alcohol use, and drugs. There are some common sense tips that all parents should discuss with their children before spring break:
• Familiarize yourself with the place they are visiting and make sure they know how to access emergency help.
• Know your child’s plans and make sure they check in often
• Do not carry large amounts of cash or expensive clothing or jewelry with you.
• Learn about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and make your expectations clear.
• Stay close to your friends and never walk away with a stranger.
• Watch out for date rape drugs, keep your drink covered and never accept drinks from strangers.
• Never drive under the influence of alcohol or get in a car with someone who is driving drunk.
Parents remain the number one influence in their children’s lives throughout adolescence and into adulthood. Talking won’t necessarily prevent them from taking all the risks, but making your expectations clear will allow your child to not only have fun, but also return home safely, with no regrets.