Spring Break Attacks!

Spring break:
a time of relaxation
for some, and a time
to cut loose for others.
Those who choose the
wilder spring break
vacation may being
putting more of an
emphasis on fun than
sensibility. Spring
break can be a great
time to let out all that
stress or annoyance
you normally feel
during the school year.
However, that does
not mean letting go
of the common sense
you are forced to use
in school. The harsh
reality of some teen’s
spring breaks is very
unhealthy. It includes
binge drinking, dangerous

sexual activity,
and vulnerability.
Teens that
travel on their own
(with friends) for
spring break, use most
of their time to cram
in as much drinking
as possible. However,
these spontaneous
actions can have long
lasting consequences.
Teenagers have not
developed enough to
handle large amounts
of alcohol. Any effects
that heavy drinking
can have on adults
will be that much
worse for teens. These
effects include liver
problems, reproductive
problems, and
new studies have
found possible problems
with bone development
as well as
growth stunts. As most
know, your thinking is
impaired when drunk,
which can lead to
reckless or dangerous
decisions. This is why
the “buddy system”
[not separating from
at least one friend]
is a good and safe
strategy. “It seems so
simple,” states college
student who went on
a Puerto Rican spring
break two years ago,
“and yet you would be
surprised how quickly
girls drop this rule
once they start drinking.”
Make the plan to
stick together ahead of

time.
Some other
decisions best left
to think of sober,
include the unwise
sexual decisions many
teens make. A recent
survey has shown,
“Forty-four percent of
sexually active Massachusetts
teenagers
said they were more
likely to have sexual
intercourse if they had
been drinking, and
17 percent said they
were less likely to use
condoms after drinking.”
Add the pressure
teens feel in order to
belong in this spring
break environment
and these percentages
will most likely in

crease. Another study
shows that teens are
more likely to have
several “partners”
when traveling for
spring break. When
circulating partners
and not always using
protection, sexually
transmitted diseases
suddenly become very
common. This is a big
and long lasting risk.
As awful as
these consequences
seem, they are terribly
common. There are
other more extreme
cases that teens are
vulnerable to. These
cases include, rape,
drowning, kidnapping
and murder. All
of these situations are

inmade
too easy during
spring breaks.
Spring breaks
are best used to
unwind from a long
and cold school year.
However, loosing
your common sense
is not required to do
that. It is important
for teens to know their
limits. They should
do only what they feel
comfortable with and
make sure that they
do not drink too much
to forget that. Spring
break only lasts for a
week, the consequences
can last a lifetime.