Medical Experts Offer Insight into the Effects of In-Flight Drinking

The festive season is here, but as passengers prepare to raise their glasses, two health professionals offer their advice for common sense drinking in the cabin.

‘Tis the season to be merry, and travelers will soon take to the skies with many preparing to raise an in-flight toast to ease their journeys along. But as passengers make ready to hoist their glasses, the frequency of in-flight alcohol-related incidents looms large within the wider industry.

With occurrences of rowdy and even violent behavior occurring regularly on both sides of the Atlantic, the anti-social effects of too much booze have been well-documented. The airplane cabin, however, is a unique environment, and likewise, excessive alcohol consumption can make even the most high-spirited traveler feel peculiar in a very short space of time.

Didi Aftink, an occupational health physician for KLM Health Services, laid out the facts for those who choose to imbibe in a blog post earlier this year. She explained that, when drinking under non-cabin conditions, it takes between 30 minutes and an hour for a passenger’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to peak to maximum levels.

But, as Aftink explained, cabin conditions are different to those down on the ground.

“During a flight, the barometric pressure in the cabin of a plane is lower than it is in most places on earth,” she said, explaining that this environment could be compared to an altitude of between 5,905 and 7,217 feet.

“This decreased pressure environment diminishes the body’s ability to absorb oxygen and it can produce light-headedness. We call this hypoxia. Generally speaking, this is not an issue but the feeling could be similar to the experience you have after drinking alcohol,” Aftink added.

She went on to say that, “In other words, because of the lower level of oxygen in your blood, you may seem more drunk in the air than you would on the ground after consuming the same amount of alcohol. But, in fact, your BAC will show the same percentage as would be the case if you drank the same amount of alcohol on the ground under similar circumstances.”

But both the dry environment of the cabin as well as alcohol’s diuretic effects can wreak havoc on passengers’ systems, ensuring that they become dehydrated much faster than on the ground. Hence, Aftink advises travelers take a common sense approach to drinking and suggests that they alternate alcoholic beverages with plain water as well as watching their intake of salty food.

When it comes to in-flight drinking, she cautioned that, “…it’s better to be safe than sorry…and drink wisely on an aircraft.”

While Aftink’s stance is decidedly moderate, others suggest a teetotal approach.

Dr. Sarah Jarvis, a general practitioner and medical advisor for UK alcohol education charity Drinkaware, confirmed what many FlyerTalk readers already know, explaining that, “Alcohol can have a significant effect on your mood and this combination significantly raises the risk of air rage incidents.”

While she admitted that it is tempting to use alcohol as a stress-breaker, especially on a long-haul flights, Dr. Jarvis cautioned travelers that, “Flying increases your risk of a clot on the leg or the lung, and dehydration makes the risk higher still. Since alcohol dehydrates you, I always recommend that people avoid alcohol on flights.”

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