Tech students with an urge to study abroad can run with the bulls in Pamplona or leisurely walk The Great Wall of China ? or find themselves up to their Hokie headbands in legal trouble.
According to the U.S. State Department, over 2,500 Americans are arrested abroad each year.
Half of these arrests are drug related, with public drunkenness also accounting for a significant percentage.
If a U.S. citizen is arrested in a foreign country, U.S. laws do not protect them.
Several countries go to great lengths to prevent drug use by denying bail and jury trials and having mandatory prison sentences for drug violations.
Many businesses also prevent unruly behavior by banning alcohol in their establishments, according to the State Department.
?The hotel where we were staying wouldn?t let us take alcohol to our room. So we ended up drinking it on the metro, and there were people staring at us, but nobody ever said anything to us. They were obviously perturbed and were like ?stupid Americans, getting drunk,?? said Randall Reed, junior computer engineering and French major.
In addition to drug and alcohol related violations, students should be aware of safety matters like robbery and assault. Knowledge of one?s location and surroundings is essential when visiting a foreign place.
According to the State Department, Americans can be easy targets if they are found in an unfamiliar area, and being under the influence will only make matters worse.
?We didn?t really separate; I wouldn?t walk around by myself at night. Even me and my roommate made one of the guys (on our trip) come with us,? said Shannon Calnan, a senior English major.
Staying in groups, especially at night, is very important in preventing injury. It allows the group members to keep an eye out for each other, Reed said.
?I never got so drunk that I couldn?t get home. But, one girl in our group got so drunk that she needed to be carried back to the hotel, but she was never alone,? Reed said.
To avoid many of the dangers associated with traveling, the USDS offers travel tips for students.
By making sure to have valid identification and an insurance plan, emergencies can be handled more efficiently. Students should make themselves knowledgeable of local laws, and consult consular information sheets and public announcements for their destination to become aware of any travel warnings, according to the State Department.
?The professors told us to be careful of pick pockets and to be prepared whenever we went on daytrips to the bigger cities,? Calnan said.
Visiting the Virginia Tech Education Abroad website at oired.vt.edu or the USDS site to find helpful tips for travelers can give students a heads-up before their journey.
