The Effects of Alcohol on Pilots During Flight

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Alcohol is something that has been part of human nature for thousands of years. It has been used by means of medical, social, religious, and cultural settings (Information about Alcohol, n.d.). Alcohol is going to be a product that will be a part of our lives for many years to come, definitely past our lifetime. A problem that we see today is the use of drinking and driving. This is one of life’s more dangerous and stupid activities, but people still decide to do it. People like to push their abilities to the edge, which could end up causing death to themselves and others. When we watch the news, there always seems to be at least one crash that involved a drunk driver. You have to remember that one incident happened in our city, but it’s actually happening in almost every city in the United States and the world. If it happens this often in a car, alcohol is bound to creep itself into other dangerous scenarios. Aviation is an extremely dangerous as it is, but when alcohol is thrown into the mix, flying becomes nearly impossible. Throughout this paper, I will be describing what alcohol is actually doing to your body, along with the effects it has on a pilot while they are flying.

When a person first drinks a drink with alcohol in it, their central nervous system is going to be affected. While you are not impaired, the central nervous system receives sensory details from different organs in your body. Some of these organs include the eyes and ears. From the information that is collected, the central nervous system then analyzes it and sends a response to conduct a certain contraction in a muscle. All of these normal circumstances are severely different when a person is intoxicated with alcohol. The intoxication i...

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FAR/AIM 2011: federal aviation regulations, aeronautical information manual : rules and procedures for general aviation, sport pilots, and instructors. (2011 ed., p. 163). (2010). 91.17 Alcohol or drugs. Newcastle, WA: Aviation Supplies & Academics.

Information about Alcohol. (n.d.). Understanding Alcohol. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/alcohol/guide/info-alcohol.htm

Modell, J., & Mountz, J. (1990). Drinking and Flying - The Problem of Alcohol Use by Pilots. The New England Journal of Medicine, 323, 455-461. Retrieved September 17, 2011, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199008163230706#t=article

& Associates. (2009, April 23). Definition of Under the Influence of Alcohol. Lawyers, Attorneys, Law Firms – Find Legal Information. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=6247

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