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Q:
When I go on a dive vacation, we
often have beers or cocktails after
diving. Some in the group are even
suggesting drinks between dives — is that a
bad idea?
A:
Simply put, alcohol and diving are not
compatible. Alcohol causes depression
of the central nervous system, which
impairs judgment and reduces reaction time
and coordination. Often the individual is not
even aware of the degree of impairment.
A review of more than 15 studies on the effects
of alcohol on performance found that alcohol was
involved in roughly 50 percent of all accidents in
people of drinking age. In Diving and Subaquatic
Medicine (Edmonds C, et al., 2002), the authors
report that alcohol is associated with up to 80
percent of all drownings in adult males.
It takes time for alcohol to be metabolized
and its effects to wear off. M.W. Perrine and
colleagues studied a group of experienced divers
and the impact of alcohol consumption on their
performance. Their investigation found that the
ability to perform skills while scuba diving was
significantly compromised at a blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) of 0.04 percent, which can
be reached by a 180-pound man who consumes
two 12-ounce beers in one hour on an empty
stomach. The study went on to state that even
at a lower BAC, situational awareness and
protective inhibitions may be reduced.
Recent alcohol intake (along with seasickness,
traveler’s diarrhea, excessive sweating, diuretic
medications and air travel) is a potential cause of
dehydration in divers. Dehydration, particularly
when severe, is a potential risk factor for
decompression sickness (DCS). Diving can also
contribute to further fluid loss through breathing
dry air and diuresis caused by both immersion
and cold. Some symptoms of dehydration, such
as fatigue or drowsiness, can even mimic DCS,
leading to possible diagnostic confusion.
RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
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F R O M T H E M E D I C A L L I N E
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SUMMER 2012
Drinking and Diving: Is It Safe?
DAN® medics answer your questions about dive medicine.
B y J o h n L E E , E M T , D M T , C h T
S T E P H E N F R I N K