Programming for a Safe Spring Break

There may be snow on the ground across much of the country, but many college students are already preparing for spring break. Students participate in a variety of activities over break- from volunteering for a service project, planning a vacation, or catching up on Netflix.  Though it is not the norm, some students engage in high-risk behaviors during this time period. It is essential for campuses and peer educators to provide students with information and strategies that will help minimize harm and, hopefully, make the break a positive experience. Through the promotion of responsible driving, healthy decision-making, strategies for personal safety, and avoiding high-risk drinking, we hope to reduce if not eliminate the number of injuries and deaths among college and university students during the spring break period.

To support your campus programmatic efforts, the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA team has compiled a list of our favorite Safe Spring Break websites:

•  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention created a guide for college students with tips for safe travel, eye care, skin care, and nutrition 
• The National Institute of Health has a variety of resources for college students on a range of topics, including cannabis, mental health and STDs
• Resources like collegedrinkingprevention.gov and the College Aim can provide campus teams with strategies, program planning support, and best practices for high risk drinking prevention
• High Risk drinking can lead to high risk sexual activity, so utilize bedsider for information on birth control options, and Planned Parenthood for STI information
• Unfortunately, sexual violence may be a reality for some college students over spring break, so make sure you check out End Rape on Campus  and Futures Without Violence for information

We also recognize that some students utilize the time to participate in service activities or even go home for a little while. We want those road trips to be as safe as possible, which is why we encourage campuses to conduct educational programs ranging from seatbelt use, to impaired or distracted driving prevention, to making sure fatigue does not set in while students are on the road. 

For those traveling to a warmer location or spending the break outdoors, the American Cancer Society has resources regarding skin protection  and skin cancer.

It is safe to say that for the vast majority of students, spring break is a fun, positive, healthy break in the school year. It’s a time to rest, relax and enjoy time with friends. Of course, it is our goal to make sure that is the case for all students, which is why so many campuses conduct a Safe Spring Break campaign each year.