concern about drugs/crime
Jan 5th, 2003, 06:28 AM
#1
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concern about drugs/crime
Message: I would like to take my family (daughters 14&17) to jamacia in April. I am thinking about the Negril area. I have been told by a number of people, that Jamacia is not a good place for families because of drug selling and other hassles. Should I look somewhere else?<BR><BR>
Jan 5th, 2003, 06:48 AM
#2
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HI there, well, again with drug/crime, you have it everywhere in this world. I was recently in Negril, Jamaica, and on a resort, and had no problem whatsoever, everyone could not have been more friendly. On the beach, there was the occasional local who would ask if we wanted any "ganja", and just tell them "No, Thank You", and they usually leave you alone. I loved every minute of Negril, it is beautiful. Jamaica has beautiful people and beaches. From what I know, the Kingston area is somewhere to stay away from, which I believe is quite a distance from Negril. In fact we are planning our next trip to Negril and cannot wait.
Jan 5th, 2003, 07:21 AM
#4
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I've been to Negril a number of times. Just came back from a few days at White Sands (we spent New Years eve there). Negril is very safe, and kid friendly. You will have no problem with crime or drugs. People will try to sell you stuff on the beach (braids, trinkets, etc) and will sometimes try to sell you "ganja" - a polite "no" will do the trick... The beach in Negril actually seems safer now then at any other time I have visited (in the last 6 years) due to an visible increase in security there. <BR><BR>Now, if you want even less vendors and more seclusion - stay at the Bloody Bay side of the beach. This is the most lovely (and secluded) portion. Bloody Bay includes Riu, Couples, Grand Lido, and a number of other nice resorts. Point Village is also nice in this respect, as their location gives you much more privacy from the main beach.<BR><BR>Have Fun,<BR>Eric
Jan 5th, 2003, 08:31 AM
#5
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I totally agree with Eric, I stayed at a resort located on Bloody Bay. Pretty quiet and relaxing! I know that Couples is a couples only resort (hence the name..lol), but the others that neighbor it, The Riu and Grand Lido, are also nice, any may be for families, I am not too sure on that but..check it out!
Jan 5th, 2003, 09:07 AM
#6
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Can some of you please explain to me why you think that people offering to you sell you marijuana on the beach, where a "polite no USUALLY means they'll leave you alone", constitutes a safe, appropriate environment for kids?<BR><BR>Obviously, drugs and crime exist to some extent everywhere, but there are other places in the Caribbean where the chances of this happening are much lower than in Jamaica.
Jan 5th, 2003, 05:26 PM
#7
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Hey,I agree that drugs are definitely NOT okay, but they are everywhere...kids should be aware and taught at a young age, this is what this world has come to. In any BIG city, or even small for that matter there are drugs...When in Jamaica I , personally, am not a "ganja" smoker, and I was not hassled by anyone.
Jan 5th, 2003, 06:48 PM
#8
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If your daughters are ages 14 and 17, then there is almost NO DOUBT that they have been exposed to illicit drugs, most probably at their schools. No offence intended, but they might even have "inhaled" due to peer group pressures that seem to abound in the schools today. No matter where you are or what country you are in.<BR><BR>Hopefully, as a responsible parent, you have brought your daughters up well and if offered ganja on a beach, you can politely say no, and use this as an educational opportunity for your children. You can't take a head-in-the-sand approach to drugs and pretend the problem does not exist..... ANYWHERE! ! !<BR><BR>Go ahead and enjoy your vacation and the educational opportunities that travel provides.<BR><BR>worldly.
Jan 5th, 2003, 07:06 PM
#9
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Gotta agree with the last two posters. Drugs are everywhere. There are probably more drugs in you daughter's school than they will encounter in Jamaica. <BR><BR>Jamaica gets a bad rap for drugs, but if you are young and American, you will get offers anywhere you travel in the world. That has been my experience. I have gotten offers even in "pristine" places like the ABC islands(Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao). <BR>The reason you get offers is because so many young Westerners come to the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, looking for drugs. I don't know of a place that you could travel to and the possibility of being offered drugs would be non exsistant, except Disneyworld. Ever been on a train in Europe, have the train stop, and be completely searched by drug sniffing dogs? It happens all the time, yet Americans don't stop coming to Europe. <BR><BR>Negril is very cool. People are very nice and they don't hassle you. There is so much to do there. Give it a try.
Jan 6th, 2003, 10:36 AM
#10
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We've taken our kids to Negril twice now, MoBay once (villa). Never had a problem. When we go without our kids and are walking down the beach, we are sometimes offered ganja. When walking with our kids (younger than yours, 4 and 7 at the time), no one approached us at all, out of respect, I assume, for the kids.<BR><BR>Our children love Jamaica...just playing on the beach and in the water, snorkeling, hiking waterfalls or cruising around...they always make friends with local and tourist kids they meet on the beach.<BR><BR>You can choose a resort or villa or most any hotel in Negril and any salespeople you might encounter will be on the public beach only, not on the grounds of your hotel.<BR><BR>One hotel we stayed at with our kids - Nirvana - has a beach guard who looked to us for a nod if we wanted a vendor to approach (sometimes we did...cheap fresh lobster, fruit, all kinds of stuff can come to your beach lounge if you want!)...otherwise they stayed away. That's not uncommon for hotels on the beach.<BR><BR>Most cliff hotels are completely private or allow non-guests in to eat but not onto the rooms area. Hassle there is zero.
Jan 21st, 2003, 12:30 PM
#11
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Message: Anyone catch the Global Trekker show last night on Discovery? Ian Wright the host who has been to the ends of the earth and back seemed a little put out by his experience with his Jamaican trip.<BR><BR>I guess the highlight was when the taping crew had their money stolen from their hotel rooms. Great place..<BR><BR>
Jan 21st, 2003, 07:03 PM
#16
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Marajuana gets a bad rap. Alcohol is as bad if not worse to take into your system. Marajuana is a convenient way for politicians and relegious groups to create unneccesary fear into people. Any drug used to the extreme is going to create negative effects on your system. Take too much morphine you will die. Take the right amount you can ease pain in terminally ill patients. If you have raised your children to a value system that you believe in than your children should be able to make positive choices for themselves.
Jan 22nd, 2003, 04:19 AM
#17
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"Jamaica gets a bad rap for drugs?" Are you serious? Puhleeze people. There is a WAR in Jamaica going on right now because of drugs! Its amazing to me how many millions of tourists to Jamaica are totally clueless as to the strife on that island. The MAJORITY of favorable reviews comes from the friendly CONFINES of the major resorts. With total ignorance to the REAL Jamaica. I feel sorry for the people of Jamaica; most are genuine and live a hard life and pay dearly for the corrupt government, drug trade, teenage thugs, and crime. Yeah it happens in the U.S. but were talking about an island the size of New Hampshire? with 3 million people who CAN'T get away from it!
