Hundreds of thousands of people travel to other countries every single year and it’s important to know the practice safe traveling specific to the region you are visiting. People travel for a variety of reasons and not always to the safest countries in the world. Did you know that many countries are known for their drug tourism? Drug tourism is any travel that is for the purpose of obtaining or using drugs for personal use that are not available or are illegal in one’s home country. Sadly, innocent travels merely seeking a vacation can get caught up in drug tourism simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
For those living in the United States, Mexico is a very common country to visit to obtain illegal drugs to bring back home. It is such a quick trip for some that they can drive over the border and easily smuggle drugs back into the States. Drug tourism can also include idea that one’s travel experience involves the consumption and usage of drugs that are considered to be illegal in either the visited country or the tourist’s home country. This is the part of drug tourism that is very popular in parts of Mexico, especially for those living in the Southern California area near Tijuana. Tijuana sells a lot of drugs over the counters that are not sold in the United States, so it’s an easy way to obtain them without having to do anything illegal.
Another popular source of this type of tourism comes from college students who are not yet at the legal drinking age of 21. Young people living away from home find traveling to countries like Mexico or Canada, where the drinking ages are younger, an easy solution to obtaining alcohol.
Drug tourism can be a very dangerous thing with many legal implications. Anyone found engaging in this type of tourism can put themselves at risk for prosecution for smuggling drugs or other, more serious charges in the country they are visiting. And at that point, their home country has no jurisdiction to help them.
Here are some tips to follow to keep you safe when doing any type of traveling abroad:
