This isn't about TSA...
Sorry, guys, but I have to take the other side of this argument.
Each year in the US, crewmembers either test positive on random alcohol/drug tests. How many? There were 9 that tested positive for alcohol in 2001, 22 in 2002, and 9 in 2003...but also in 2003, 22 tested positive for drugs! (these numbers come directly from Dr. Audie Davis' presentation at the September HIMS conference in Denver)
Yep...we're talking about professional pilots who know they are subject to DOT testing, yet they still manage to blow over .03999 or test positive for drugs. So, you tell me...is there a problem? The most conservative (lowest) estimate for alcoholism rates in the US is 5%. And the US has over 200,000 ATPs, the majority of which are flying professionally. You do the math.
In other words, do you want your wife, daughter or father to fly on an aircraft piloted by a drunk? Do you want your company's future riding on their drug-altered proficiency and judgement? Of course you don't, and the industry has done a lot to offer rehabilitation and help for those afflicted with substance abuse. Ask your airline HIMS representative...
I see this thread as two distinct issues. The first is a natural railing against the TSA, who we perceive as an organization hell bent to make our life more difficult. Well, that train has left the station. They do make our life somewhat tougher, but that's an innevitiable byproduct of their necessary job. Are they legally allowed to detect, detain or report pilots with alcohol on their breath? Yes they are. That aspect was upheld in Florida earlier this year. Is it correct for them to do so? Well, it begs the question...how many pilots have been accused of drinking by the TSA but were not actually doing so? I don't have numbers for you, but I think they are low. Perhaps you can shed some light on that aspect.
As for pilots reported by the TSA as having alcohol on their breath that were drinking, the list appears to be increasing. I have no problem with that. If a "wand monkey" (your term, not mine) keeps an inebriated pilot out of the cockpit, great. Frankly, anyone who would argue the opposite simply isn't thinking clearly.
The other big issue here is our natural inclination to push drinking under the rug; professionals don't have problems like that, right? No one wants to address it, so it is easier to vent against the TSA, an organization we (at times) view as somewhat less than professional.
The reality? We have to cope with alcohol and drug abuse--that's what each airline's HIMS program is for.
I don't blame TSA...if they're wrong, a simple breathylizer will prove the pilot's innocence. Problem is, we're not always innocent.
Sorry, guys, but I have to take the other side of this argument.
Each year in the US, crewmembers either test positive on random alcohol/drug tests. How many? There were 9 that tested positive for alcohol in 2001, 22 in 2002, and 9 in 2003...but also in 2003, 22 tested positive for drugs! (these numbers come directly from Dr. Audie Davis' presentation at the September HIMS conference in Denver)
Yep...we're talking about professional pilots who know they are subject to DOT testing, yet they still manage to blow over .03999 or test positive for drugs. So, you tell me...is there a problem? The most conservative (lowest) estimate for alcoholism rates in the US is 5%. And the US has over 200,000 ATPs, the majority of which are flying professionally. You do the math.
In other words, do you want your wife, daughter or father to fly on an aircraft piloted by a drunk? Do you want your company's future riding on their drug-altered proficiency and judgement? Of course you don't, and the industry has done a lot to offer rehabilitation and help for those afflicted with substance abuse. Ask your airline HIMS representative...
I see this thread as two distinct issues. The first is a natural railing against the TSA, who we perceive as an organization hell bent to make our life more difficult. Well, that train has left the station. They do make our life somewhat tougher, but that's an innevitiable byproduct of their necessary job. Are they legally allowed to detect, detain or report pilots with alcohol on their breath? Yes they are. That aspect was upheld in Florida earlier this year. Is it correct for them to do so? Well, it begs the question...how many pilots have been accused of drinking by the TSA but were not actually doing so? I don't have numbers for you, but I think they are low. Perhaps you can shed some light on that aspect.
As for pilots reported by the TSA as having alcohol on their breath that were drinking, the list appears to be increasing. I have no problem with that. If a "wand monkey" (your term, not mine) keeps an inebriated pilot out of the cockpit, great. Frankly, anyone who would argue the opposite simply isn't thinking clearly.
The other big issue here is our natural inclination to push drinking under the rug; professionals don't have problems like that, right? No one wants to address it, so it is easier to vent against the TSA, an organization we (at times) view as somewhat less than professional.
The reality? We have to cope with alcohol and drug abuse--that's what each airline's HIMS program is for.
I don't blame TSA...if they're wrong, a simple breathylizer will prove the pilot's innocence. Problem is, we're not always innocent.