Update - February 15, 2002

We use this service to provide you the most up-to-
date safety and security related information we 
have available.  We will continue to do so, 
sending out messages as soon as new information 
becomes available.

In addition to sharing security-related 
information, we will continue to include news and 
information about our American Citizens Services 
of a more general nature.

This week's feature is a reminder of safety and 
welfare considerations for young American citizens 
who plan to travel overseas on their spring and 
summer break.

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Security Situation
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The security situation in Japan remains the same 
with no new threat information reported from 
either the American or the Japanese side other 
than the worldwide caution we distributed via this 
channel on February 1, 2002.

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State Department Alerts Students To Risks Of 
Overseas Travel
--------------------------------------------

Each February the Department of State distributes 
information to over 1,500 college and university 
newspapers to alert American students traveling 
abroad during their spring and summer breaks about 
conditions that may affect their safety and 
welfare.  Students, who can be caught off-guard by 
differences in local practices and unfamiliar 
surroundings, sometimes face the risk of arrest in 
connection with drug and alcohol abuse and can 
become the victims of crime while traveling in 
foreign countries.

The information is provided as part of the 
Department's effort to inform as many Americans as 
possible of hazards they may encounter outside the 
U.S.  We endeavor to achieve as wide a 
distribution as possible to some of our most 
vulnerable travelers -- young people going abroad, 
some of them for the first time.

The State Department urges college and university 
newspapers to use the information in the attached 
"Fact Sheet" on Travel Safety Information
for Students.  We encourage students and to 
consult the Bureau of Consular Affairs' web site, 
http://travel.state.gov, for the latest travel 
safety information.

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Fact Sheet
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs

February 8, 2002

FACT SHEET

Travel Safety Information for Students

As the time approaches for spring or summer 
breaks, many college students are getting ready 
for that much anticipated trip abroad.  Most will 
have a safe and enjoyable adventure, but for some, 
the trip will become a nightmare.  A number of 
ruined vacations are caused by one or more of the 
following:  drugs, alcohol and disorderly behavior.

Each year, more than 2,500 American citizens are 
arrested abroad-about half on narcotics charges, 
including possession of very small amounts
of illegal substances.  A drug that may be 
legal in one country may not be legal in a 
neighboring nation.  Some young people are 
victimized because they may be unaware of 
the laws, customs, or standards of the 
country they are visiting.

Besides drugs, alcohol can also get U.S. citizens 
in trouble abroad. Students have been arrested for 
being intoxicated in public areas, for underage 
drinking, and for drunk driving.  Some young 
Americans go abroad assuming that local authorities 
will overlook such conduct.  Many believe that they 
are immune from prosecution in foreign countries 
because they are American citizens.  The truth is 
that Americans are expected to obey all of the laws 
of the countries they visit, and those who break these 
laws sometimes face severe penalties, including prison 
sentences.

Disorderly or reckless behavior is also to be 
avoided.  In many countries, conduct that would 
not result in an arrest here in the U.S. 
constitutes a violation of local law.  It is 
crucial that young Americans be aware of this risk as 
they are enjoying their time abroad.

Being arrested is not the only thing that can 
happen on a foreign vacation.  Young Americans 
have suffered injury or even death from automobile 
accidents, drowning, and falls, in addition to 
other mishaps.  While these accidents are 
sometimes chance occurrences, many are caused by 
alcohol or drug abuse.  Sadly, other Americans 
have been raped or robbed because they have found 
themselves in unfamiliar locales or are incapable 
of exercising prudent judgment while under the 
influence of drugs or alcohol.

Remember:  Reckless behavior while in another 
country can do more than ruin your vacation; it 
can land you in a foreign jail or worse!  To have 
a safe trip, avoid risky behavior and become 
familiar with the basic laws and customs of the 
country you plan to visit before you travel.  To 
obtain more information about traveling abroad, 
check the Department of State's web site at 
http://travel.state.gov.