Every year thousands of students go on spring break, which pop culture has turned into one huge party where nothing bad happens, ever. 

The truth is that there are many dangers that go along with all of the fun of spring break. There are a number of horror stories that could scare people away from spring break if they are not cautious about their activities and choices. 

The dangers of spring break are not something that should be taken lightly. These can range from sexual assault and alcohol abuse to identity theft or scams. The Choices and Prevention committee of the Division of Student Affairs raised awareness to this by bringing in Elaine Pascua, a premier expert in alcohol, sex and sexual assault.

Pascua spoke to students last week about all that can go wrong and how students can prepare and have awareness over the upcoming break. She discussed topics such as high-risk drinking, sexual assault, healthy relationships, effective strategies and drug use.

If you don’t plan out your trip carefully, you could become the victim of a scam or you could end up in a difficult situation. By preparing for your trip and making sure you know ahead of time what boundaries you want to have, whether that’s a budget or what type of buddy system you are going to follow, you will have a great trip while also staying safe.

Students go on this week-long vacation for a reason: to get a break from classes and other stresses of college life. It’s a time where they don’t want to worry about anything and just have fun. However, it should be to an extent. By all means, students deserve to relieve stress and go out and have fun, but don’t fall into the common spring break traps. 

Alcohol abuse is a common activity among spring breakers and there’s no way to stop it, but students need to remember that they can still have a safe spring break while drinking alcohol. Sexual assault is another major issue. With date rape drugs and hundreds of drunk college students in one place, sexual assault occurs all too frequently and runs under the radar. Keep an eye on your drinks, act responsibly and stick with your friends to avoid any dangerous situations. 

If spring breakers can remember these dangers while vacationing and better plan out their trips, they can help themselves and others around them to have a more enjoyable spring break. It doesn’t have to be dangerous. Avoid the dangers and just have fun, while also staying safe and smart.