2008 Woodie Awards
Studies Show Spring Break Could Be a Dangerous Vacation For Students
Jen Rosato
Issue date: 4/15/06 Section: News
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Trips to Mexico and other hot spots that college students attend are locations which occupy belligerent adolescents during spring break.
Caterina Ianno, senior at Mercy College, traveled to West Palm Beach, Florida on spring break. "I went to a bar called Frosty Mug on my second night in Palm Beach. I had one drink while I was there, nothing else for the rest of the night.
There were girls dancing on the bar and I saw a girl fall off. She was not hurt but the owners made all of the other girls on the bar come down," stated Ianno.
She stayed in Palm Beach for one week and attended another bar while vacationing. "I went to a bar called Bonds. It was pretty crazy in there. I saw guys giving girls body shots and girls giving guys body shots. I also saw a girl throwing up in the corner and a guy passed out sitting on a chair. His head was on the table," said Ianno.
Students have time off from school and some of them choose to vacation and engage in wild behavior as a result of a large amount consumption of alcohol.
"Each year in Cancun, Mexico, a major spring break destination for American college students, the city and hospitals report an increase in deaths, rapes, injuries, assaults, and arrests related to drinking," stated the American Medical Association.
In Daytona, Florida, last year a report made by county officials stated that there were twice as many rape cases during spring break.
"Spring break is broken," said J. Edward Hill MD, president of the American Medical Association. "What was a traditional time to relax and take a break from college studies has turned into a dangerous binge-fest."
Both sexes consume quite a lot of alcohol on spring break trips; however, scientific evidence shows "Women process alcohol differently, putting them at greater risks for heart problems, reproductive disorders, and liver disease," stated Hill.
Because the studies done on women and alcohol, "the American Medical Association is warning girls not to go wild during spring break."
Confirming what goes on in those "Girls Gone Wild" videos, 83 percent of college women and graduates surveyed by the American Medical Association said and spring break involves heavier-than-usual drinking, and 74 percent said the vacation results in increased sexual activity.
A survey was recently done by the American Medical Association:
• A majority (74 percent) of respondents said women use drinking as an excuse for outrageous behavior.
• More than half of women (57 percent) agree being promiscuous is a way to fit in.
• An overwhelming majority (83 percent) of women had friends who drank most nights while on spring break.
• More than half (59 percent) know friends who were sexually active with more than one partner.
• One in five respondents regretted the sexual activity they engaged in during spring break and 12 percent felt forced or pressured into sex.
• Two out of five women agreed access to free or cheap alcohol or a drinking age under 21 were important factors in their decision to go on a spring break trip.
The American Medical Association said the survey results specify the need for a procedure change, offering alternative spring breaks and limiting the alcohol advertising on campus.
One thing can lead to another, and it is important to know all the risks involved for women while they are drinking. A new issue is increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and violence.
However, "Alternative spring break trips that often emphasize community service have been increasingly successful across the country," stated Hill.
The hype about spring break begins months before the break begins.
Students are attacked by promotions on campus that advertise ads for cheap or free alcohol. At Mercy College, students are told about the dangers that may occur while off campus in general, not only on spring break.
"Safety is a priority. When spring break approaches, we talk to students about academics as well as safety. We encourage them to use their time to work on school work and to also keep in mind they have to maintain a certain grade point average to remain in school. All of this is discussed in a general meeting," stated Masele Kibassa, Resident Hall Director.
If students do not return back to school after spring break, Mercy College has procedures they follow to find out where the student is located.
"If they are missing for a certain number of days, we notify the parents regardless of whether it is spring break. We do this in general for any situation," said Kibassa.
Mercy College keeps in contact with the students' teachers if they arrive late back to campus after any breaks from school.
"The students can do what they want, but we need to know where they are because teachers and their jobs will be calling and looking for them. In general, we must find out if they are doing well," said Kibassa.
There have not been any instances of students returning late or not returning at all from spring break at Mercy College.
"It is a rare occasion that anyone disappears from school. All students have returned from spring break as far as I know," said Kibassi.
Besides trips involving partying and heavy drinking, some students from Mercy College went away for spring break and did not drink heavily or engage in wild or inappropriate behavior.
"I went to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Plata. I drank a lot less than I could have, considering all the alcohol was included. I barely drank; my friends and I relaxed on the beach and went dancing all night instead of getting drunk," stated Christine Hafner, senior at Mercy College.
However, Hafner did notice some people who were intoxicated.
"I saw some drunk people acting crazy, nothing like you see on television, just running around , giggling and stumbling around," said Hafner.
Many students view spring break as a time to act crazy and get drunk in a different country where no one may recognize them. Yet with camera-phones, small, digital cameras and new age technology, it is quite possible that stunts pulled on spring break can come back to haunt the party ringleaders.
Spring break has often been depicted in movies, typically by fictional accounts of a group of friends traveling together on a journey. Yet in 2002, the producers of the MTV hit "Real World" decided to follow around 16 vacationers on spring break in the documentary, "The Real Cancun". Bashed by most critics as being nothing more than cheap drama with predictable racy scenes, it did open some parents' eyes to what goes on during some of these spring break trips.
One critic from Chicago stated when the movie was released, "The fact that no one survives with a shred of dignity shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone."
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