Hazardous Behaviors While Traveling

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Alcohol consumption:

• Drinking alcohol does not protect against any infection that might be acquired abroad.
• Alcohol consumption at high altitudes (>10,000 feet above sea level) may worsen altitude sickness.
• Possession of alcohol is prohibited in some Middle Eastern countries. Be aware of local laws governing alcohol consumption.
• Although it is never a good idea to drink and then drive, this is a particularly dangerous behavior in a foreign country, where laws and liability may be handled very differently than in the U.S.

Recreational drugs:

• Laws governing possession of illegal drugs vary considerable in different countries, and foreigners in possession of such drugs may be dealt with differently by the law than locals. Penalties for possession of certain drugs may be extreme.
• If you have any prescription items that you use for medical purposes, it is a good idea to have a written, official prescription in your possession, and prescription medication should be in original pharmacy container and never in unlabeled bottles.

Sexual activities:

• AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases are common in most of the developing world. Travelers who have casual sexual encounters in foreign countries are advised to carry and use lubricated, latex condoms.

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