Even after a bit of sleep alcohol remains in the system Credit: megaflopp/shutterstock
A British Airways cabin crew member with a 37-year career at the airline was dismissed after failing an alcohol test from the “morning-after effect” on a flight from Malaga to London Heathrow.
Deborah Merritt, 59, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court after colleagues allegedly noticed she was unsteady and wobbly during a three-hour British Airways flight from Spain last month. Reports say she was moved to the rear of the plane and secured into a jump seat before the aircraft landed at Heathrow.
Following the flight, Merritt was arrested and immediately given a breath test which reportedly showed 70 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, almost eight times the legal limit for airline crew in the UK, which is set at 9 micrograms. She later pleaded guilty to a drink-related aviation offence based on a lower evidential reading of 52 micrograms.
Merritt’s defence lawyer told magistrates she had been under stress due to a family issue and had consumed “a few bottles of wine” the previous day, believing the alcohol would have left her system before duty. Merritt reportedly told the court she was “devastated” at losing the job she had held for nearly four decades. She was fined £768 and ordered to pay costs. British Airways confirmed she is no longer employed by the airline.
The case has attracted huge attention because it homes in on how strict aviation alcohol rules are compared with ordinary drink-driving laws and because experts say many people underestimate how long alcohol can remain in the body the next morning.
Why airline alcohol limits are so strict
Airline crew need to operate in safety-critical situations where concentration, communication and emergency response are more than essential. Because of this, pilots and cabin crew are subject to much tougher alcohol limits than motorists.
In the UK, airline staff must not exceed 9 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. By comparison, the legal drink-driving limit in England and Wales is a much higher 35 micrograms.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority permits random alcohol testing for crew members, with some positive tests resulting in criminal charges, dismissal and loss of certification. European aviation authorities, including Spain’s AESA regulator, apply similar rules prohibiting crew from working while under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive substances.
What is the “Morning-after trap”?
The BA case has brought attention to what health experts sometimes describe as the “morning-after trap.”
The situation where people believe they are sober because they stopped drinking hours earlier or slept overnight, despite still having alcohol in their bloodstream.
This misunderstanding is extremely common with people taking early morning flights after late nights, especially in holiday destinations where dinners, drinks and nightlife continue well into the early hours of the morning
The issue being alcohol leaves the body far more slowly than many people assume.
How long does alcohol stay in your system?
According to NHS guidance, the body processes alcohol gradually and there is no quick way to speed the process up.
On average, the liver metabolises around one unit of alcohol per hour, although this of course varies depending on body size, age, sex, food intake, sleep and medication.
That means someone who drinks heavily late at night may still have measurable alcohol levels early the following morning, even if they no longer feel intoxicated.
Despite the old wives tales, medical experts also warn that coffee, showers, exercise, fry- ups and sleep do not remove alcohol from the bloodstream.
Why you can feel sober while still impaired
One of the reasons the “morning-after trap” catches people out is because feeling normal does not necessarily mean performance has fully recovered.
Research into alcohol-related impairment has found that reaction times, concentration and decision-making can still be affected long after visible drunkenness disappears.
Tiredness is a major issue. Sleep deprivation combined with the left over alcohol may impair alertness even further, particularly during early-morning shifts or flights.
Studies have shown hangovers can reduce memory, attention span and psychomotor performance even after blood alcohol levels begin falling.
In industries such as aviation, healthcare and transport, experts say these effects can still create safety risks despite someone believing they are fit to work. With airline crew being responsible for passenger safety and emergency procedures, this is a major issue.
Late nights, early flights
In destinations such as Malaga, Marbella and across Spain, it is common for evenings involving food and alcohol to continue late into the night before early morning airport departures.
So even if you have that quick kip on the sofa or a few hours after a night on the town, you may be still far from operational the next morning.
