The sun is shining, spring is in the air and that means one thing. College students around the nation will soon be jumping into cars and heading to the closest shoreline for spring break to party hard. This means teens and young adults may be travelling and partying in places they are unfamiliar with and with people who are casual acquaintances and not necessarily well known friends.

Safety is imperative especially when frequenting well-populated areas where people are drinking alcohol and perhaps using other options to enhance their party life. Here what is fun one minute could turn into a tragedy the next minute without some careful planning.

In order to ensure everyone’s safety both males and females should travel with a friend or in a small group of 2-6 people. The group stays together at all times. No one eaves anyone anywhere and no one should leave the safety of the group without letting friends know exactly where they will be, who they will be with, and when they will return.

All members of the group should have the other member’s cell phones numbers. Be sure to include one of your group members as an ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact so someone is available locally. Also, include family numbers like mom or dad so in the event of a true emergency someone can contact parents and family.

In addition, students travelling for spring break need to provide mom or dad an itinerary of where they will be going, staying, and returning. Remember emergencies can happen on either end and it is important that if needed someone can get ahold of you if something happens at home.

Finally, be careful never to leave drinks unattended or accept drinks from someone you do not know. Many drugs can be place discreetly into a drink when one turns their back, or goes to the bathroom. Try to drink out of a bottle that remains covered and if unsure if your drink was left unattended opt for a new drink rather than take a chance that you are being set up for a sexual assault later.

Spring break is about having the time of your life, but it also means you have to be responsible for your own safety. Every choice has a consequence and no one wants to end a fun-relaxing week with memories that will never go away, getting hurt, ending up lost, or arrested for bad behavior.

So plan to have a fabulous time riding the waves of the ocean and friendship, but come home safe. Your family and friends need you, the world needs you, and you are on your way to an incredible journey of life.