Every July, students embark on their vacation from Job Corps. Inevitably, during this time, they encounter perils related to outdoor activity and renewed freedoms. Take a few minutes over the next couple of weeks to remind students that although they are on vacation, they need to stay safe and sober. Following are some general tips to help students have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Heat Safety

• Drink plenty of water. This is important all year, but especially as the weather heats up. Remember that thirst is a sign of dehydration.
• Eat small meals more often.
• Advise students to listen to their body. It they are outside, especially if they are engaged in physical activity, and start to feel ill, have muscular pains, appear pale or flushed, or are sweating heavily, find a cool place, drink some water, and rest until back to normal.
• Know the warning signs of a heat stroke. Students should know to seek medical attention at once if they see someone with hot, red, and dry skin, or lose consciousness. Heat strokes can be life threatening!
• Do not allow someone who is suffering from heat exhaustion to drink too quickly. About a half a glass of water every 15 minutes should be sufficient.
• If the person suffering from a heat-related illness refuses water, vomits, or loses consciousness, call 9-1-1 immediately.
• The American Red Cross offers more information on heat-related illnesses.

Swim Safety

• May 22-29 was National Recreation Water Illness Prevention Week.  Several infectious diseases can be spread through swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, or oceans. These illnesses occur when contaminated water or something that has come into contact with a contaminated surface is swallowed.
• Several pathogens found in water can cause people to become sick, including Cyprosporidium, Giardia, Shigella, and E-coli 0157:H7.
• Warn students to protect themselves and others by:
• Not swimming when having intestinal issues
• Not swallowing pool or lake water
• Taking a shower before swimming
• Washing hands after using the restroom
• More information on swim safety can be accessed through the CDC website.

Stay Away from Drugs and Alcohol

Summer break is a particularly dangerous time for students to use alcohol or drugs. Now is a great time to work with your TEAP Specialist to remind students that just because they are away from Job Corps, they still must abide by the zero tolerance policy. If you have a few minutes to delve further into this topic, several resources can help you and your staff plan alcohol and drug prevention programs. Several excellent resources exist on planning these programs, including:

• College Drinking-Changing the Culture—Provides information on planning and evaluating alcohol reduction programs on college campuses, but can easily be applied to Job Corps. Includes a step-by-step approach to planning successful alcohol abuse programs.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Prevention Platform—Allows users to log in and build prevention programs. Requires free registration.
• SAMHSA Young Adults in the Workplace (YIW)—Offers information on model programs and resources to find more information.