Drugs and Alcohol
Legal framework
EASA Part-MED §MED.A.020 (b) prohibits exercising pilot privileges under the influence of psychoactive substances (drugs, alcohol, medication) that can impair perception, attention, or coordination.
ICAO Annex 1 §1.2.7.1 requires contracting states to enforce regulations that
- prohibit consumption of psychoactive substances immediately before and during duty,
- disqualify on substance abuse.
Concrete time and quantity limits are set nationally. Examples:
| State | Waiting time | Max. BAC | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICAO recommendation | 8 h "bottle-to-throttle" | — | Annex 1 §1.2.7 |
| USA | 8 h | 0.04 % | 14 CFR §91.17 |
| Germany | 8 h | 0.2 ‰ blood alcohol | LuftVO §1, OWiG |
Alcohol physiology
Ethanol is a central nervous system sedative. As little as 0.4 ‰ impairs reaction time, coordination, and peripheral vision. At altitude the effect is amplified (synergy with hypoxia): at 6,000 ft, 0.4 ‰ feels like about 0.6 ‰ on the ground (ICAO Doc 8984 §II.6).
Alcohol elimination (Widmark constant)
The body eliminates alcohol via the liver (alcohol dehydrogenase) at a near-constant rate (zero-order kinetics in the typical BAC range):
| Unit | Typical elimination rate |
|---|---|
| % BAC | ≈ 0.01 % per hour |
| ‰ BAC | ≈ 0.1 ‰ per hour (0.1–0.15 ‰/h depending on person, sex, food intake) |
| g/kg | ≈ 0.1 g/kg per hour |
→ This rate is established as the Widmark constant in forensics (Widmark, Die theoretischen Grundlagen und die praktische Verwendbarkeit der gerichtlich-medizinischen Alkoholbestimmung, 1932).
Example calculation: a pilot with current BAC 0.5 ‰ needs at least 5 hours to reach value 0 — before legally allowed to fly.
Important: even after BAC returns to 0, subjective effects (hangover, disturbed sleep architecture, residual vestibular effect) persist significantly longer. 8 h bottle-to-throttle is the minimum, not a safety margin.
Residual alcohol
After 2 bottles of beer, BAC may be near zero after 8 h, but sleep architecture, vestibular sensitivity, and alertness level are still markedly altered. Hangover is a genuine flight impairment.
Drugs
Cannabis (THC) is detectable for days in fatty tissue; effects on attention and time perception can persist >24 h. Cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, hallucinogens → absolute prohibition. Drug testing after incidents or random checks is possible in many states.
Drugs with addiction potential (benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, opioid painkillers) are disqualifying both as substances and for sedation.
Consequences
- Loss of medical certificate (Part-MED Annex VII, AMC1 MED.B.055)
- Criminal consequences (in DE: §315a StGB Endangerment of air traffic)
- Loss of insurance