STATE DEPT. ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING

Around 1,250 American Citizens Are Arrested Abroad Each Year For Drugs,
Prompting The U.S. To Urge Caution

As spring break approaches for college students around the country, the
State Department has issued a warning alerting young people to the dangers
of illegal activities in foreign countries.

The department fears many students are unaware of the potential
consequences of risky behavior in foreign countries and, as a result, may
find themselves in precarious situations.

The State Department's warnings were surprising, said Sean Bixler, a
sophomore finance major traveling to Acapulco, Mexico.

"I thought my rights as an American citizen extended to other countries,"
he said. "I had no idea the consequences were so severe."

Each year, more than 2,500 American citizens are arrested abroad, and
almost half of the arrests are drug related, according to the State Department.

When arrested in a foreign country, the U.S. Consulate will help notify
family and ensure a person's rights are observed according to the local
law. They will not, however, provide legal counsel, help post bail or
demand a release or extradition.

American citizens caught buying, selling, carrying or using drugs can face
interrogations and lengthy trials and may be sentenced to serve weeks,
months or life in prison. Some cases may even earn the death penalty in
many foreign countries.

Rodney Thompson, a finance professor who travels overseas with many
Virginia Tech students for study abroad programs, spends time educating
students about the different laws and punishments in other countries before
the trips.

"We go over the laws and consequences to the point where it is nauseating,"
he said.

Using illegal drugs and drinking excessively can, at the very least, ruin
your vacation and possibly result in jail time, Thompson said.

"The laws are different everywhere," he said. "It really is unfair to your
family if you are ignorant of foreign laws and are arrested."

Daniel O'Brien, assistant director for education abroad in Tech's office of
international programs, has never heard of any Tech students arrested overseas.

However, he stressed that students traveling out of the country need to
understand their rights as American citizens do not travel with them.

"Students will have the same rights as a citizen of that country," he said,
"not the rights of an American," he said.

It is incredibly important to research the country of destination and
become familiar with the laws and customs, according to the State Department.