Aviation Safety: Understanding the Impact of Drugs
Aviation Safety Hazards: Drugs
Purpose: To give you a fundamental awareness of the types of drugs, their effects, and their implications for aviation duties and safety.
Drugs and Aviation Duties
- “Aviation duties” are not limited to piloting an aircraft.
- They include a number of other jobs, to include:
- Air traffic controllers
- Dispatchers
- Mechanics
- Cabin crew
- Gate and ramp crew
What is a Drug?
- Any substance taken beyond the daily nutritional requirements of food (including milks and fruit juices) and water, with the objective of some specific result.
- Supplemental vitamins are not a “drug” unless used in excess.
- Most commonly used drugs are: (1) alcohol, (2) nicotine, and (3) caffeine.
Drugs May Be
- Natural or manmade
- Prescription or non-prescription (“over-the-counter”)
- Addictive or non-addictive
- Good or bad for your health
- Good or bad for your performance
- Producing different results under different circumstances
- Legal or illegal to use or possess in normal non-aviation activities
- Legal to use, but NOT in aviation duties
- You MUST understand each of these aspects of drugs!
Prescription vs. Non-Prescription
- “Prescription” drugs are those very potent or potentially harmful drugs made available only via an authorized medical professional. Ex: codeine, morphine, penicillin.
- “Non-prescription” drugs are those less potent/harmful drugs that are commonly sold “over the counter” without medical authorization. Ex: aspirin, cold medicines, nasal sprays.
- Many “over the counter” drugs disqualify the user from aviation activities—ask your AME.
Addictive or Habit-Forming?
- Many drugs typically do not create physical or psychological dependencies—a person can take them or leave them.
- Certain drugs are habit-forming to the point of physical or psychological addiction.
- Addiction means a person usually needs outside intervention and great effort to avoid the drug.
- FAA does not certificate persons addicted to drugs or alcohol.
FAA-“Excepted” Addictive Drugs
- Nicotine is addictive, but is excepted by FAA.
- Caffeine may be mildly addictive, but is excepted.
- Alcohol IS addictive, and is NOT excepted. No addicts allowed to be certified, no “influence” when operating.
- Illegal drugs are not excepted, and are disqualifying if used at any time.
Effects of Drugs
- Different drugs have different effects.
- The same drug may have multiple effects.
- Effects can be neutralized or magnified by other drugs, like alcohol.
- People can develop tolerances that reduce the effect of a given dosage of drug.
Under the Influence?
- “Under the influence” means behavioral or physiological effects that adversely modify one’s judgment, performance, or well-being.
- FAA and most countries DO NOT allow persons to do aeronautical activities under the influence of potent or harmful drugs.
Under the Influence?
- The duration of drug influence on a person depends on many factors, such as:
- Nature of the drug and dosage
- Combination with other drugs
- Person’s biological condition:
- Weight, health, fatigue, hunger.
- Drugs are cleaned from the body by the liver and kidneys—may take hours, days, weeks, years, forever! Depends of the drug.
Adverse Effects of Over-the-Counter Drugs
- Appetite suppressants tend to be “uppers” and cause euphoria, bad decisions
- Antihistamines (for colds, allergies, etc.) cause drowsiness
- Sedatives/sleeping aids slow mental processes, alertness, memory
- Nasal decongestants and pain-killing drugs: their short half-life may result in unexpected and uncontrollable effects when they fade.
Use of Drugs?
- Improper use of both prescription and non-prescription drugs can be dangerous and illegal under civil law.
- Both type of drugs MAY place the user “under the influence” and violate safety and aviation regulations.
- Always check with your AME before taking any drug if you are performing aviation duties.
Alcohol’s Characteristics
- Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world.
- Ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages is addictive.
- Alcohol is a depressant—retards function and activity of mind and body.
- Alcohol is a toxin (poison) that kills living cells. A “hangover” is a result of dead and damaged body cells!
- Moves very quickly from the stomach to the blood and brain–@ 15 seconds.
- Has many bad behavioral and health effects.
Alcohol’s Apparent Effects
- At first, a chemically induced euphoria
- Then, a relaxation and “feeling better” effect
- Then, feelings of increased strength, ability, courage…but they are false.
- At the same time, actual physical ability and judgment are degrading.
- Increased alcohol consumption can lead to loss of physical control, “hangover,” unconsciousness, toxic shock, and death.
Alcohol’s Actual Effects on Performance
- Impaired reasoning and judgment
- Impaired memory
- Impaired creativity
- Impaired coordination and equilibrium
- Slowed reaction time
- Changes of mood (irritability, agitation, depression)
- Sleep disturbance generated fatigue
- Loss of strength
- See anything good on this list?
Alcohol and Aviation…Bad!
- One average drink=0.015% B.A.
- B.A. level of 0.04% seriously impairs pilot performance (or any aviation duties)
- National regulations dictate max alcohol levels (typically from 0.0 to 0.04%) and recency of consumption (typically 8-12 hrs)
- B.A. level effects increase with altitude, Ex: doubling going from sea level to 10,000 feet.
- NO aviation activities should be performed under the influence
- Tests show hangovers lead to 7X increases in pre-flight errors.
- NO aviation activity with a hangover.
Nicotine’s Effects: A Few Examples
- Acts on central nervous system
- Causes chemically modified mood of euphoria and lessened fatigue
- Increases carbon monoxide levels in blood/reduces ability to absorb oxygen
- Substantially reduces night vision
- “Withdrawal” or temporary abstinence causes irritability, aggression, fatigue.
- Lung and eye irritation and damage
- Known carcinogen
- A nasty, stinky habit :>)
- BAD for pilots!
In Summary
- Don’t use harmful or illegal drugs.
- Don’t misuse any kind of drug.
- If you have aviation duties, consult with an aviation doctor before taking any drug or returning to duty after taking drugs.
- Even small doses of legal over-the-counter drugs can be dangerous in aviation.
- In some countries, detection of improper use of prescription or illegal drugs results in a permanent ban from certification/aviation employment.