As students prepare to flock to sunny Mexico for Spring Break, the United States government has one thing to say: be careful.

The U.S. Department of State issued a travel alert for Mexico in late February, extending until August 2009.

“U.S. citizens traveling throughout Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times,” according the alert. “Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places.”

Although the violence has not been isolated to one specific region or city, much of turmoil has been centralized along the U.S.-Mexico border in cities such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez.

“The problem is real and the problem is there, but to say the entire country is unsafe is an exaggeration,” said Ignacio Corona, a Mexican studies professor and native of Mexico. “I wouldn’t suggest going to a border state, but places like Acapulco and Cancun are safe,” he said. “But always use precaution, no matter what.”

Universities across the U.S. have urged students not to travel to Mexico. Although Ohio State has not made this suggestion, the university alerted students to the conflict in this weekend’s Buckeye Net News and OSU Weekly.

“I don’t care if it’s England, Uganda or Mexico – when students travel, they need to follow basic precautions,” said Grace Johnson, director of International Affairs. “We don’t want to single out Mexico; we want to alert students that other popular Spring Break destinations come with their problems.”

Johnson said students should avoid wearing expensive jewelry, dress appropriately, travel in groups and travel during the day. The government recommends that U.S. citizens stay in well-known tourist areas and register with the U.S. embassy in that area.

Because much of the violence is on the U.S.-Mexico border, travel agencies are telling travelers to fly.

“We let people know they shouldn’t drive to Mexico so they can avoid going through the border,” said Patrick Evans, marketing communications coordinator for STA Travel on North High Street.

Kelli Gardner can be reached at [email protected].