For many college students, spring break is a welcome respite from studies. It’s a time to cut loose, travel and party. But safety on spring break trips is important, to – especially when young adults vacation abroad or in new-to-them locations.
There was a sobering reminder of this in March 2019. Family and friends of a young man from Dearborn were left grieving after the 19-year-old was killed in an accident while on spring break in Cancun, Mexico.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the man, Ahmed Altaii, died after falling from a seventh-floor balcony at the hotel he was staying at while on vacation with a girlfriend.
Altaii graduated from Fordson High School in Dearborn in 2017 and had played football for the school’s varsity team, according to reports.
While an autopsy and toxicology report weren’t available as of this posting, the tragic story represents one of many parents’ worst fears when it comes to teens and young adults going away for spring break. Parents of high schoolers have many options for safe spring break destinations with supervision, but parents of young adults often have less control.
The Washington Post covered the issue of spring break safety in an article, pointing out that officials say spring break is “becoming rowdier” and putting college kids at risk.
In response to officials’ concerns, some destinations are stepping up safety efforts. This includes places like Miami Beach, the Washington Post reports, where people on spring break will see flyers and other advertising about state laws regarding public disturbance, drinking and drug use.
“It’s part of a new campaign titled, ‘Come on vacation, don’t leave on probation,’ which highlights the consequences of common spring break crimes,” the article states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds spring breakers that alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and non-fatally injure someone every two minutes.
It also warns about the risk of injuries, sexual assault, high-risk activities and other concerns.
