Nobody with good news calls in the middle of the night. As a father of college-age children, the late-night sound of the telephone ringing was chilling. Our youngest son and about hundred or so of his closest friends from college were on spring break in a warm country south of the border. Before he left we talked about all of the "be aware ofs," but of course he was 20, and far wiser in the world than his parents, so "not to worry" was his reply. He didn't know that his world was about to turn upside down.

When Natalee Holloway disappeared four years ago on a high school graduation trip to Aruba, personal safety on school break became temporarily important to high school and college students looking for a distant getaway from the routine of their studies. In 2009, spring break means that in the next 30+ days, 5 1/2 million U.S. college students will temporarily shake the responsibilities of school, and at least 100,000 of these young Americans will travel to the ports, cities, beaches and resort areas of our immediate neighbor to the south, Mexico. The personal risk to those heading down south of the border to seek the sun-drenched 24/7, "girls' gone wild beach parties," no matter what their age, are, according to the U.S. Department of State, now greater than ever.

Notwithstanding the many challenges in Mexico, 80% of the tourists entering that country are Americans, with upwards of 25 million foreign nationals traveling through that country last year alone, most of which were unaffected by the murder and mayhem going on in that country every day. If anything can affect the crush of young U.S. tourists into Mexico it will not be fear of becoming a victim of crime. It will be because of the current international recession that has limited their and their parents' ability to finance such getaways. If you or your child's travel plans include Mexico, however, that are a few things you need to know about that country and about how to protect yourself as you travel.

Mexico 2009

Although about 10 percent of the population of Mexico, to include millions of illegal's, can now be found in the United States, many students will still seek their R & R in that colorful country. What they are heading into, though, is a country seemingly at war with itself, and it is losing. According to a former US Drug Czar, Mexico's government is somewhat unstable and the country itself extremely violent; one on the edge of becoming a narco-state in the next 10 years. While residents there consume illegal drugs at a population rate less than America, Mexico has still seen its drug consumption increase by 30%, to include a cocaine usage that has doubled in the last seven years. Mexico produces many tons of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana for sale and export to the United States, with the brutal and deadly Mexican drug cartels making in excess of $25 billion per year through such sales.

A mile east of the Tijuana International Airport is an area police call El Fin del Mundo, the "End of the World," where drug-cartel assassins dump their victims. Both Mexican and American citizens have been found there. Thousands of locals and internationals have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered in drug related crimes, with 6,000+ murders reported along the south side of the US/Mexican border just last year alone, this while some estimate that over 500 people are kidnapped in Mexico every month. Over 1,800 people have been murdered in and around Ciudad Juarez, a border town of about 1.5 million people just across from El Paso, since January 2008 and more than 1,000 known victims have been killed in drug related murders across the whole of Mexico in the just first two months of 2009. The murder rate in Mexico has doubled in the past two years, with many of the murder victims tortured with their limbs cut off and their bodies dissolved in vats of acid. You can have a person murdered south of the border for about $100, while the going rate to have a cartel member kill someone north of the border runs between $500 and $1,000. Other less violent crimes see locals and tourists alike as victims of "express kidnappings," ones where the victim(s) is carjacked and immediately driven to a bank ATM where they are forced to withdraw cash after which, hopefully, they are released.

Carjackings and highway robberies alike have become more common in the cities on the Mexican side of the U.S. border, a risk for any American citizen on a day outing into Mexico. While Latin-America represents just eight percent of the world's population, this part of the world accounts for over three-quarters of all world kidnappings. Most of these kidnappings go unreported, though, because the victims know that police, the military, and many local and national officials are themselves part of the ever growing cartels and kidnapping gangs.

In January 2008, a reporter was taking pictures in Mexico when two police officers confronted him, hit him in the stomach, and confiscated his camera and the $120 cash he gave them in lieu of being arrested. A local waiter later told him he was lucky. "They usually take you down to the jail, where you have to pay to get out, like $200 or $300," says the waiter. "You're lucky those cops needed some quick cash," he adds.

The local people don't know who to trust, but they know who not to trust: the cops, many that will at least expect a bribe should they stop you for anything. In their defense, though, 500 police officers and members of the military have been murdered in that country's fight against narco-terrorism. The Mexican Government has recently deployed 45,000 members of its Army to fight the drug cartels that are literally taking over cities south of the border.The level of their national challenge begins with two of the deadliest Mexican cartels (the Sinaloa cartel, aka the "Federation" or "Golden Triangle," and Los Zetas, aka "the Gulf Cartel") that if combined can muster a total of 100,000 "soldiers," almost equal to Mexico's standing army of 130,000 soldiers. While Mexican officials hope the drug wars will simply allow the drug cartels to "cancel each other out," should these rival cartels reach some kind of truce and begin working together, they could overpower all forces of law and order in Mexico.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has joined the U.S. State Department and the Canadian Government in warning travelers about the dangers and risks involved in travel to Mexico. Many resort towns have been the scene of significant drug raids and shoot outs between police and drug cartel members, and when bullets fly there is no way to know where or what will stop them. These agencies note the drastic increase in the number of kidnaps for ransom in and around Phoenix, Arizona, at least 500 to 1,000 last year, making that city the kidnap capitol of America. Most of these crimes, though, are related to drug and gun trafficking and many involve illegal aliens, therefore few such crimes are reported to local police and the FBI.

You are Guilty until Proven Innocent

Law enforcement is entirely different in Mexico than in the U.S. First, not all police wear uniforms and many criminals impersonate police when they rob and kidnap. Second, you can be arrested and incarcerated for what would be considered minor offenses in America. Third, the Mexican judicial system is based on Roman and Napoleonic law and presumes a person accused of a crime to be guilty until proven innocent. There is no trial by jury or writ of habeas corpus in the American sense. You are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent and if imprisoned, you will join the over 2,000 other Americans stuck in really bad jails as they await justice; "Santa Anna" (remember the Alamo) styled justice, that is.

A little common sense and preparation can save you from a world of hurt and pain, and can help insure that your trip to some hot beach is not the trip into hell.

Consider these 10 factors:

1. Know where you're going before you start. Use the Internet to research the city, state, or country that you're traveling to and know both the good and the bad about your destination. Some localities consider the use of drugs or the abuse of alcohol to be a very serious offense, something that can get you thrown in jail for weeks if not years. In other countries the authorities will try to set you up in a sting-like operation, but their purpose is to force you or your parents to pay a bribe to gain your release. Other demands can also be made of you, demands you don't even want to think about! But whether you think of them or not, they are real, as is the threat to your personal safety. And if another language is spoken at your location, learn a few phrases like "I need the police" or "I need a doctor" or just "Help me."

2. Insure that someone at home has all of your travel and contact information, including a copy of your passport, the front and back of your credit cards and identification cards, and information as to where you are staying and who you'll be with. If this data changes, find an Internet kiosk and send the new information along so that you can be found or helped should the need arise.

3. Cell phones and your BlackBerry are great, but many won't work outside the U.S. or need to be set up in advance of your travel. Don't assume that your phone has this capability. Call your cellular provider to arrange such service for the length of your trip.

4. There is always safety in numbers. Travel in groups of at least three. The idea of three is the hope that no matter how crazy the situation, out of three friends, one can be counted on to be the voice of reason. In a worst case scenario, one can run for help while the second stays and stands by the third. Remember, you're all in it together. You should always be within eyesight of each other. And don't accept any offer to leave with a person you've just met. Think of Natalee Holloway's last known ride from that bar in Aruba…

5. Avoid using stairwells or elevators by yourself. Don't tell any "new friend" where you are staying. Put your valuables in the hotel's safe, not under your pillow. Remember not all "taxis" are really taxis. Insure that you're taking a safe mode of travel every time you go out at night and don't open your hotel door to strangers. If the person knocking on your door says he's with the hotel or the police, call the front desk to check before you unlock your door.

6. Drink only from sealed containers or get your drinks directly from the bartender. And don't leave your drink unattended – you don't know what someone could put into it. Date rape drugs are many and varied, with the most common being "GHB" and "Rohypnol," the latter of which may have many other names. Such drugs are used to facilitate rape because they make the assault easier. This "anesthesia" type of drug renders the victim helpless and unable to withhold consent to sexual activity. Rohypnol can mentally and physically paralyze you. Effects of the drug are of particular concern in combination with alcohol and can lead to amnesia wherein you simply cannot remember what happened to you. If your drink tastes or looks different than it should, e.g., salty, foamy, cloudy, or has some type of residue in it, just dump it and don't take another drink from the person who gave you the questioned one,

7. Tell your credit card company you'll be using your card out of the country for a limited time and try never to let it out of your sight. Identity theft is common throughout resort areas with many tourists reporting the theft of their passports and more.

8. Avoid watching or participating in large public gatherings that could quickly lead to civil unrest and police action.

9. Don't wear obviously expensive jewelry, and carry purses and other bags diagonally over your shoulder with the pocket facing your body. Carry some cash in one pocket so that if confronted by robbers, you can quickly give up the money and send them on their way.

10. Lastly, remember Spiderman. Spidey had a sixth sense; he instinctively knew when trouble was around. And so do you. But we don't always listen to that still, small voice within that says "this could be trouble." If you think you're being followed, go into a safe place and ask for assistance, and always look sober and like you know where you are and what you are doing. You only need watch the predators in any vacation bar or on any "booze cruise" that lurk just outside of your vision; but they're watching your every move. Predators look for the lost, the weak, the vulnerable—usually the inebriated. You don't want to look like a zebra or gazelle that's separated and lost from her herd or be too forward toward strangers. Your overture of friendship can be a sign of vulnerability to a predator, and they can be very cunning as they work ever so stealthily to cut you out of the herd. You don't need to be paranoid. Just know your surroundings, your limitations, set boundaries, and stay with your wingmen.

How you can get Hurt

Hundreds of holidays, vacations, or breaks become nightmares because of behavior, accidents, alcohol, and drugs. Almost 3,000 Americans are arrested overseas every year, many for possession of very small amounts of narcotics. Accidents account for hundreds more victims, including drowning in pools and the ocean, automobile accidents, jet skis, and falls from buildings. Many threats exist to any vacationer who doesn't put his personal safety above his desire to party. In parts of Mexico, for example, one can easily become the victim of robbery, rape, kidnapping, and murder – all of which are well documented. Many thieves and other scam artists work the streets in resort areas. One scam is to approach a tourist and offer a "gift," after which money is loudly demanded because the gift was accepted.

Young friends of ours just returned last week from their honeymoon south of the border. While driving back to the airport they stopped just long enough for lunch in a local restaurant, long enough for local thieves, watching for young Americans to park a rental car, broke into the car and stole their laptop, cel phones, i-pods, cash and both of their passports. It cost them $100 apiece and two extra days just to get temporary passports to use to fly home, and rental car insurance in Mexico does not cover the theft of your possessions from the car.

Hotel Safety Issues

Another little known safety issue in Mexico is the dozens of Americans who have fallen from the balconies of their hotels, this because many such balconies have rails that are only two or three feet tall (the U.S. standard is 42 inches). Yet another issue is the lack of safety glass in hotel windows and sliding glass doors. This accounted for my son's call while on spring break. "Dad," he said, "we were wrestling around in the hotel room after a few drinks and my friend fell through the sliding glass door onto the balcony." Evidently he just missed tumbling over the balcony rail (they were on the 6th floor), but the glass broke into large shards, one knife-like piece that cut his arm like a surgeon's scalpel. They wrapped a towel around the bleeding limb and caught a cab to the local hospital. An hour later I got another call – the friend was in surgery and the next day my son and his injured friend were on a flight back to Washington, DC, where the injured friend's mother had a local surgeon standing by. Soon they were getting a review of his injuries. There was still glass in the wound that had been crudely stitched up. "Another 12 hours or so," the surgeon said, "and he would have lost the use of his arm." Remember, if seriously injured; get home for medical aid as soon as you can. Oh, and don't drink so much that you fall through glass doors….

As for our other two children, one got deathly ill on bad food while on spring break and had to be hospitalized and our daughter had a Caribbean woman thrust a baby into her arms, begging her to take the infant back to America as it would surely die in that country. Foreign travel challenges come in many forms, shapes, and sizes.

Booze and the Beach

Alcohol and injuries go hand in hand. During spring breaks the average male reports consuming 18 alcoholic drinks per day and the average woman 10 such drinks per day. One half of all men and 40% of all women drank until they became sick or passed out at least once. If you're drinking, don't do it on an empty stomach and for guys, limit yourself to one drink per hour and for women, one drink per 1 ½ hours. Nurse a Coke or two. Don't mix your drinks (e.g., beer and rum) and if you slur your words, walk funny, or feel sick, stop drinking. You can't drink yourself sober, but you can drink yourself into the hospital or worse. Car accidents, alcohol intoxication, broken limbs, and date rapes are all the results of alcoholic abuse. Alcohol is implicated in the three major causes of death among young people in America, including homicide, suicide, and accidents—including alcohol poisoning.

Many see spring break as a time to blame their behavior on the booze, the music, or even the moon. Your natural inhibitions may become fuzzy or even disappear when you believe that the party climate gives you an excuse not to be safe in all regards. Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise around the world. In the U.S. alone, millions of new cases of genital herpes are identified every year. Other types of sexually transmitted infections, to include HIV/AIDS, can result from just one unguarded night of fun under the sun. Were you to be the victim of a sexual assault, do not expect a great amount of help from your hotel or local law enforcement in second and third world countries. Hotels will be quick to suggest you immediately go home, this to preserve their "reputation," while local police may explain the long process that you must go through to identify and prosecute your assailant. Their implied message to you is "be glad you're alive, count this as a learning experience, and pack up and go home." Case closed as far as they are concerned.

And the predators? Well, they continue to prowl. There's always another plane landing with people just looking for fun, a continuing source of potential victims for such people predators.

The Sun and your Fun

Just like you know the amount of time that you can spend in the sun before you burn, you should recognize the pitfalls that await those who don't know their own limitations, who don't set boundaries, and who violate the rules of safe traveling. No one wants to cramp your style and keep you from having a good time on break or vacation. We just want you to come back safe and in one piece. When you're in an unfamiliar location and perhaps under the influence of something or someone, your chances of becoming a victim rise exponentially. Be smart and be safe. Good judgment and being responsible for yourself and your travel companions can help to insure that you get everything out of your vacation that you seek. But nothing more.