For college students, spring break is an entire week of worry-free partying. Many students use this week to take a vacation with friends. Popular destinations for these vacations include Mexico, Florida and Texas. Having a large amount of college-aged students in one location often leads to chaos. This chaos includes dangerous binge drinking.

Binge drinking is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as a pattern of drinking that raises blood alcohol concentration to 0.08, which occurs after women drink 4 or more drinks and mean drink 5 or more drinks within a two hour period.

According to the Journal of American College Health, on spring break men reportedly drink 18 drinks per day and women 10 drinks per day. Over 40 percent of the vacationers will pass out from drinking at least once throughout their vacation. These statistics point towards a binge drinking pattern. The heavy alcohol consumption can then lead to health problems, including car and water sport accidents, broken bones and balcony falls.

Not only does the alcohol cause health problems on spring break, but also legal issues. According to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau and Consular Affairs, over 2,500 Americans are arrested each year during their vacations.

Spring break does not have to be a week filled with drinking. There are many other fun, safe and sober options available.