Alcohol Effects

Alcohol has many physical effects that directly threaten safety and well-being on the water.

When a boater or passenger drinks, the following occur:

• Cognitive abilities and judgment deteriorate, making it harder to process information, assess situations, and make good choices.
• Physical performance is impaired - evidenced by balance problems, lack of coordination, and increased reaction time.
• Vision is affected, including decreased peripheral vision, reduced depth perception, decreased night vision, poor focus, and difficulty in distinguishing colors (particularly red and green).
• Inner ear disturbances can make it impossible for a person who falls into the water to distinguish up from down.
• Alcohol creates a physical sensation of warmth - which may prevent a person in cold water from getting out before hypothermia sets in.

As a result of these factors, a boat operator with a blood alcohol concentration above .10 percent is estimated to be more than 10 times as likely to die in a boating accident than an operator with zero blood alcohol concentration. Passengers are also at greatly increased risk for injury and death - especially if they are also using alcohol.