As anyone who has traveled by plane in the past 10 years can attest, one of the few things that makes modern commercial flights bearable is strong in-flight beverages. For those lucky enough to travel abroad, alcohol is sometimes free. But can it rob us of the last vestiges of our mile-high spirit like a water bottle at an airport security checkpoint?
Newly released research I argue that it should be so. Research published in thorax Researchers at the German Institute for Aerospace Medicine concluded that alcohol on board flights may increase the risk of heart attack. While the main conclusions sound alarming and compelling, the study itself is not.
The researchers used a simple sample. 48 people Half of the people, aged 18 to 40, slept in a sleep laboratory that reflected typical ground conditions and the other half slept in a laboratory that simulated cabin pressure at high altitude. On the first night of the exam, everyone was told to go to bed. On the second night, each group was given the task of drinking and passing out. (Eligibility to be test subjects for this type of study is unclear as of this writing.) Researchers then monitored each group's heart rate and sleep patterns.
The results showed that people who drank and slept in the high-altitude simulation had the highest heart rates and lowest blood oxygen levels while sleeping. The researchers concluded that people with preexisting heart and lung conditions, as well as those with sleep apnea and other respiratory conditions, may be at risk, but healthy people may also be at risk.
“Even in young, healthy individuals, the combination of sleep and alcohol consumption in low-pressure conditions can place significant strain on the cardiac system and worsen symptoms in patients with heart or lung disease,” the researchers say. “Our findings strongly suggest that consumption of alcoholic beverages should be limited on airplanes.”
It may be tempting to dismiss it as the work of a few temperancers across the pond, but as students of the temperance movement well know, prohibition wildfires can be started with the smallest spark. In fact, in the United States, there is already an active movement to ban alcohol on airplanes.
Reports of intoxicated airplane passengers getting into physical altercations with flight attendants during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to several airlines postpone Alcoholic beverages are fully served onboard. Despite this visceral market reaction (after all, no airline wants to be the stage for a drunken brawl), numerous federal lawmakers inevitably joined the anti-booze chorus.
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D–Ore.) called He was banned from carrying alcohol from airport bars in 2021 after a fellow passenger was seen ordering three drinks in takeaway cups from an airport bar before boarding a flight. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) cited reports that passengers not wearing masks were causing disturbances on board the plane. on record I support banning difficult things, at least temporarily.
The study, which claims to show heart and other health risks, will further embolden people not to drink alcohol on airplanes. The reality lost in all of this is that, as Representative DeFazio's anecdote illustrates, many of the unruly passengers who have made media headlines are associated with people who: already drunk You boarded the plane or brought your own alcohol on board.
Under the Federal Aviation Administration Rule, it is already illegal for consumers to drink alcohol brought on planes. “No person may consume alcoholic beverages on board an aircraft unless the beverage is served by the person licensed to operate the aircraft.” The rules state that airlines cannot allow passengers who are already intoxicated to board a plane or serve them more alcohol on board.
So a blanket ban on drinking on airplanes is just another example of the government enforcing more regulations to tackle already illegal behavior. It will also obviously provide more incentives. It allows passengers to secretly bring their own alcohol on board. already happened When airlines suspended alcohol service during the pandemic. It doesn't take a libertarian to understand that banning legal products like in-flight alcohol service inevitably leads to more powerful black market solutions.
A better approach would be to allow airlines to continue to sell and serve alcohol onboard. Like servers at a bar, flight attendants can monitor the amount of alcohol consumed by each passenger rather than free-charging public BYOBs that go out of control. When it comes to potential health issues, passengers should be empowered to make their own decisions based on what they know best. Most people already do this in situations such as avoiding air travel after a trip. scuba diving or major surgeryThere's no reason you can't do the same when deciding whether to drink alcohol before or during a flight.
Some clever travelers pointed out The FAA rule mentioned above simply states that you cannot drink alcohol on an airplane unless offered to you by flight attendants. This means you can technically bring mini bottles of alcohol on board and simply ask the flight attendant to give it to you. At least a few airlines appear. is open Therefore.
Now find one of those airlines, book a flight, and enjoy a Prohibition-era 12-mile limit cocktail. Defiant but still technically legal protests:
Prohibition-era 12 mile limit cocktails
ingredient:
- ½ ounce rye whiskey
- ½ ounce cognac
- ½ ounce rum
- ½ ounce grenadine (real grenadine, not red syrup)
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- Lemon wedges (for garnish)
- ice
guideline:
- Bring two mini bottles of alcohol under the TSA liquid carry-on limit of 3.4 ounces.
- Fill one mini bottle with ½ ounce rye whiskey and ½ ounce cognac and top with your favorite rum.
- Fill a second mini bottle with ½ oz of grenadine and ½ oz of lemon juice. Keep this bottle in the refrigerator until you depart for the airport.
- Please bring both mini bottles with you in your carry-on.
- Ask the flight attendant to pour the contents of the bottle of alcohol onto a cup of ice.
- Add the pomegranate and lemon juice mixture to the cup.
- Garnish with lemon wedges.
- Stir with the provided plastic stirring bar.
- Sit back, relax, and enjoy a cocktail (while you still can).