As spring break quickly approaches, the risk of consuming tainted alcohol and being in an unsafe situation is increasing. Tainted alcohol is a liquor that has been tampered by adding drugs or a mixture of drugs, according to The Passport Health of USA. The most common drugs used are Scopolamine, Phencyclidine (PCP) or Methaqualone, according to Matthew Johnson, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
“It is scary because you are putting your life in the hands of hotel staff, and even at a highly rated resort you can never be too careful about how they are getting their resources,” senior Sarah Stern said.
In September of 2017, the U.S. State Department released a travel warning to Mexico regarding tainted or counterfeited alcohol. Travelers have died in both Mexico and Indonesia due to tainted alcohol, according to The Passport Health of USA.
“You can’t always trust people, even when you’re having the vacation of your life, because there is always a chance something bad can happen,” senior Mara Holm said.
A member of the Conner family was one of the victims of tainted alcohol. The accident took place at the Iberostar Hotel & Resorts’ Paraiso del Mar. On a family trip to an all-inclusive five-star resort, 20 year-old Abbey Conner drowned in the hotel pool, according to an extensive investigation by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Her brother, Austin, was also seriously injured, after both siblings took shots at the hotel bar. He does not recall what happened, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Over three dozen people have had similar experiences to the Conner family around Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. In each case, people have described their experience as a drugging-like sensation, along with memory loss after having only one or two drinks, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. There has been over 120 identified cases of tourists who have been reported being robbed, taken to jail, sexually assaulted or injured.
“Sexual harassment is a major problem in today’s society and there needs to be a change,” sophomore Mara Kippels said.
Wendy Avery-Swanson of Phoenix, Arizona told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she blacked out after being served alcohol at a swim-up bar. She said that she tried to share her story on TripAdvisor, but it was erased off the website. Among other erased claims was Kristie Love, 35, who was reportedly raped at the Iberostar Hotel by a security guard who overpowered her and raped her in the bushes, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Jamie Valeri, 34, wrote she was sexually assaulted by a hotel employee after her and her husband blacked out after only three drinks. Josh Resmini, who stayed at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort, claimed he was drugged and sexually assaulted by a massage therapist, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. These posts were both deleted off of TripAdvisor due to “hearsay.”
“It is scary to know that sites like Trip Advisor delete those claims because the public should have the right to know,” senior Alyssa Denneson said.
In August, the Mexican police department claimed they had 1.4 million gallons of illegal liquor since 2010, according to Mexico’s Department of Health. They have now taken action by doing a press release saying that the Federal Health System will add actions in favor of the health and safety of the country, according to Mexico’s Department of Health.
The Mexican government has recentlybeen taking a stand at local bars, clubs, resorts and restaurants to break their empty liquor bottles to keep them from being sold on the black market and refilled with bootleg booze, according to Mexico’s Department of Health.
Consuming this liquid can ruin a vacation by causing an illness or by resulting in a deadly case, according to The Passport Health of USA. The tainted alcohol is kept in unsanitary conditions, unlabeled and expired, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Government officials raided over 30 resorts, nightclubs and restaurants to seize the illegal alcohol which was supplied by an illicit manufacturer, according to Time. A report states that up to 36 percent of alcohol consumed in Mexico is illegal, according to Euromonitor International.
“When you’re traveling you have to be super careful about what you do and how you act towards hotel workers because you never know what will happen,” Holm said.
Travelers need to take the risk of tainted alcohol seriously, as lawmakers have been possibly underplaying the risks to tourists, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The majority of these cases have happened in upscale, all-inclusive resorts in popular tourist areas where vacationers would not expect.
Spring break is coming, and there are many precautions that need to be taken to ensure a safe vacation, according to The Passport Health of USA. A few ways for safe travels is to be observant of surroundings, and to ensure to read the hotel reviews, as some areas pose more safety risks than the others. Also, avoid drinks with ice in them, as the unsafe water from a foreign country may contaminate a drink, according to Bob Chambers, head of operations for Generali Global Assistance Travel.