Drug Testing

what do you mean about the silence being deafening? did i miss anything?

If you do commercial work you are subject to random testing. With most jobs there is pre-employment testing, and if anything happens the first think to happen is that you'll be given a cup or have blood drawn and your career is over. Besides, I don't think there are any captains who want to run a million+$ boat stoned. Do all owners demand random testing? Probably not because they can assess themselves first hand if their crew is in shape to serve safely. If you're out of shape, whether it be from drugs, drink, sickness or a fight with the missus the bottom line is the same. So, it's not a big issue. I'd be more concerned with drinking and hangovers. Personally, I've always thought of this testing as a waste of money. I once knew of a trucking company that gave it's drivers a mental/physical agility test before going out. That always made more sense to me.

I'm glad you brought this up, Marblehead. I've often wondered about this issue in the yachting community. I hope this will turn into a real conversation about real situations and experiences.

Of course, legally, there is no other choice to but have a Zero Tolerance policy for illegal drugs. But the reality is that it would be incredibly naïve and irresponsible of me to then pretend that all my guests and crew will actually abide by it.

We all know that in most locations where yachts and tourists are traveling that drugs are commonplace and very easy to get. In many of these communities, in spite of the “official” state drug policy, marijuana is openly available and frequently smoked just about everywhere. I’m not just talking about Jamaica either but also most beaches in California, Hawaii and Mexico, too. The reality is that internet chat rooms are full of people looking to Plug and Play (Do meth and then have rock star sex.) and dance clubs always have the ecstasy queens.

If we believe Hollywood, we would also believe that every super yacht is filled with mountains of cocaine and breast-augmented women. Of course that’s not true, but I’m sure there are plenty of yachts where drugs are common place. (We already know it’s true about the augmented women.)

Even if an owner could keep their crew 100% clean, how about their guests? Who doesn’t have friends who the 60s were very good to and they still smoke a bowl to this day and remain good employees, parents and otherwise respectable citizens.

I have to wonder how many crew members are asked by guests to score them their personal drug of choice or for that matter, I wonder how many owners have asked crew to help hook them up.

So, what has your experience been? How have you dealt with this issue or been affected by it? What should a Captain do when their owner or their guests are bringing illegal drugs onboard? How about when that Captain later has to reprimand or fire a crew member for drug use?

Back in the 80's when zero tollerance came in it was rediculous. People had million dollar yachts siezed because a cremember had a joint in his possession. God forbid we ever return to those days. As a captain I see my job as providing a safe and enjoyable situation for the owner and his guests. If the owner has a zero tollerance policy with his guests I will nicely, but firmly enforce it. However I've not run into that owner yet. If a guest or owner pulls something out (We're talking recreational here, NOT smuggling or dealing) I just don't see it UNLESS it affects the safety or enjoyment of the other guests. In that regard it doesn't matter if it's drugs, drink or simply unruly behavior. As far as crew is concerned, whatever they do can never affect their performance or put the owner or his vessel in jeopardy. If they do something ashore that's their business. BUT DO NOT be stoned, drunk or hung over on board, and do not bring anything on board.

As a UK skipper of an US flagged commercial fishing boat out of Venezuela running from Columbia down to Brazil, we got tested a bit.

In Trinidad the sniffer dog found a bag of white power under the Mate's bunk, she barked and barked. 6 hours later of form filling the cops then found that it was West System Epoxy MicroBubbles and that doggies love them!

Smokeing a bit of dope on an old schooner in the middle of the Atlantic may be 'cool' and get you laid but in a professional situation this is not the done thing. I've done the bad thing as a teenager but we all grow up.

I have a zero policy when it comes to crew. I have been very fortunate that I have never worked for owners or had guests on board that used drugs (to my knowledge). Which is a very good thing. I did one time have an owners son smoke a joint in the cockpit on a delivery when we were near the end of the trip (14 day trip). At that point I told him that there would be no more of that on board. By the time I happened to see it, he was almost done with it anyways.

Right now I live in the most conservative state in the union. We often joke that there are no misdemeanors here, only felonies. Their laws regarding alcohol are some of the strictest in the country and their political conservatism reaches far beyond their own boarders to strongly affect the morality laws in Hawaii and California.

Yet, even in this environment, the biggest single factor for having to let an employee go was ultimately drug abuse. On my level, not one employee’s termination records ever mentioned drugs, but all their reasons for being fired were directly related to drug abuse. I didn’t recognize the signs at first and naively watched as what were once excellent employees slowly slipped away.

We had a strict drug policy, but I just didn’t see the signs. Some of these people were not only employees but my personal friends—they were a part of my daily life, they were important to me. I don’t want to go through that again.

(On a side note—my son broke his leg and as I sat in the surgery waiting room I read a local newspaper article about a man a few days ago who left his two dogs in his car while he went into the bank. Someone called the police on him for animal cruelty, in spite of the temp outside being in the upper 40s--cool but certainly not inhumanely hot. While the officer wrote the ticket, he questioned where the animal cruelty was and the officer quickly felt threatened and called for backup. The half dozen police then beat him severe enough that he had dark bruises all over his shoulder and back. In spite of the mans subsequent internal affairs investigation and law suite, the police felt completely justified in their behavior. I doubt very much that Internal Affairs will find any violation, they never do. Sadly, this sort of thing is common place here.)

Steven

Police; thoughtless, aggressive numbnuts? Who'd have guessed?

To get a position on a yacht normally requires one have an ENG1 which also screens for drugs. It is so easy to pass this test by simply refraining form drugs for a few weeks prior to the test. It makes much more sense to have random drug testing. I think alcohol is a much bigger problem and crew arriving back on the yacht after a night of revelling, tired and hungover. I totally agree that this should not be accepted by any captain as this can affect the safety of the entire yacht , crew as well as guests.

If a crew member say for instance had a weekend off and decided to smoke a joint on the Friday night and then arrived back on the yacht on Monday morning, fully alert and sober, and the captain decided to perform a random drug test, this crew member would lose his/ her job as it takes a couple of weeks to get marajuana out the system. However if this same crew member arrived with a hangover, it would be ok. Is this not a little extreme and imply double standards?

What about OTC (over the counter) drugs? There are many on the shelves that dramatically affect performance. Are crew screened for dependance on these drugs? Addiction to OTC drugs is widley known but hard to combat.

All drugs have side effects including caffine, nicotine, prescriprion drugs, OTC drugs and illicit drugs.


Maybe you can consider the above before next performing a random screen.

I've been a captain on large yachts since the mid 90s and have never had a single incident involving the use of illegal drugs by crew. That's not to say that it doesn't exist, just not on my boats. I tend to treat my crew more like family and have a fairly low rate of attrition, so we are more likely to notice if someone is misbehaving.
I have, on the other hand, had issues with guests using drugs (mostly marijuana) on several occasions. Over the years we've developed a strategy for handling this; one of our crew will discreetly approach the individual and explain that illegal substances put the boat at risk of seizure and that the crew will take the brunt of the blame, including arrests and terminations. This generally works like a charm, as the offenders are embarrassed, and they usually toss the stash overboard.

Hi,

DocRon- You might want to check your facts there.

The actual ENG 1 Does not include drug testing, it can however be requested alongside the ENG 1 Examnation by the company requesting,organizing and or funding your ENG 1 ( Your employer).

"To get a position on a yacht normally requires one have an ENG1 which also screens for drugs."

Wrong, not even the bluenosed American machine requires a drug test as part of a seafarer's medical exam.

I apologise for my mistake. The fact remains that it is easy to pass a drug test if you refrain from the substances a few weeks beforehand, if you know you are going to be tested. That's why random testing is more accurate.

Has there been a change? I'm heading for my 5th issue Masters and a drug test has always been a requirement. I'd love to save that cost.

"Has there been a change?"

Re: the 5th issue, do you get a star on that one?

A drug test is not part of the USCG required physical exam.

Knowing what the drug test requirements are and how they can be applied is another of those things that a license holder should know, especially a captain who has responsibility for ensuring he and his crew are in compliance with the regs that could cost himself and/or the owner a great deal of trouble.

Drug testing has not "always been a requirement" it was instituted for marine officers in the early 90's.

As an owner, and for the sake of this conversation, the Admiral of the boat, along with being a drug free person, the rule is quite simple: No drugs. (period / end of conversation). We've told this to the Captain, and any crew on the boat. The rule is simple.

The captain is drug free, as is the crew, as are the guests and passengers.
If you are found with drugs, you will be let off at the nearest piece of land, with your bag, thanks, nice knowing you, get stepping.

Do what you want in your own time and in your personal life, but when you're on the boat, there are zero drugs, paraphernalia (pipes / bongs) or otherwise. It's very simple as far as I'm concerned.

Probably why my Brother has never been on board. He knows how I feel about and isn't willing to give up a few days (or whatever length of time he may be on board) from his recreational use.

If an owner has a recreational use or habit, I have no idea how one successfully runs up and down that slippery slope. I think that opens quite a can of worms. I wouldn't even know how to implement such a double standard.

I'd be happy for a pension. No star needed. But neither are likely to happen. I was tested for my 1st issue in 1988 (Not the early 90's) which is my "always" and apparently I did know the answer which seems to be contrary to your statement "not even the bluenosed American machine requires a drug test" so let's save the sarcasm. Even in this answer I read 2 contrary statements: "A drug test is not part of the USCG required physical exam." and "Drug testing . . . . .was instituted for marine officers in the early 90's.
Thank you, even though a clear explanation of your statement would have sufficed.

"A drug test is not part of the USCG required physical exam."

Is an absolute fact. There is no drug test required to satisfy the USCG medical requirements. Drug testing is a separate matter altogether.

Please reference the following link to what is commonly called the "coast guard longform."

http://www.uscg.mil/forms/cg/CG_719K.pdf

Random drug testing became part of the seascape as a result of OPA 90.

Hi,

NYCAP-If you were tested at your first license issue back in 1988 and it is still not a compulsory part of the test 20 yrs later I would say an over zealous doctor took your money un necessarily.

Is it possible this test was requested by your employer to the Doctor?