Before your student heads off for spring break, parents should discuss the importance of safety while enjoying a week without classes. Many students will head home to be with family and friends or stay on campus to work or just enjoy a week in Atlanta without classes. For those of you who have a student, who will be traveling, consider the following talking points as you discuss his or her travel plans.

• Plan Ahead: If your student will be traveling, encourage him or her to be aware of the laws at their destination. Ask your student to give you an itinerary of their trip, complete with his or her hotel information as well as when their party should arrive and return.
• Alcohol Use & Abuse: legal drinking age for the destination, your expectations, using a designated driver, not taking drinks from strangers, not leaving drinks unattended, feeling confident about choosing not to drink
• Staying Healthy: staying hydrated, wearing sunscreen, accessing local medical help
• Travel Safety: not driving when tired; know local traffic laws; know how to access embassies when abroad, and foreign travel customs. During this week, students should also always use the buddy system when possible.
• Finances: setting and sticking to a budget, expectations for using or not using a credit card, how to get extra cash in an emergency, and avoid carrying all their money (credit cards, debit cards, checks and cash) in their wallet or purse.
• Use LiveSafe's Safety Map, SafeWalk, and Check-In features to help keep you and your travel buddies safe.  As long as you have connectivity, LiveSafe will work anywhere in the world.

Visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website for tips on Spring Break Health and safety.