Don't Heli-pilots drink Tea?

[SayItIsntSo]

Aviation regulations typically prohibit the performance of any function specified in the privileges applicable to a pilot’s licence if the holder is under the influence of any psychoactive substances which may render him unable to perform such function in a safe and proper manner.

Most of us appreciate that we should not mix flying with alcohol and / or drugs but what about the most common drug of choice in the western world, caffeine.

Caffeine is regarded as a psychoactive substance. ICAO Annex 1 takes a practical approach and excludes coffee and tobacco from the definition of psychoactive substance. Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Tea, Milk & Dark Chocolate and Ben & Jerry's Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt, which also contain caffeine, are not so excluded. Surely the drinking of Tea is not just part of the British culture. It is a major element of society in Indian, China and the Middle East to name but two thirds of the world.

Does your organisation ban Coca Cola, Pepsi, tea, hot chocolate, and products containing chocolate from their oil rig / seismic / works canteen, crew-room or in-flight galley? Do you take care to exclude caffeine, other than in coffee, from your diet prior to flying duties?

How on earth did this definition get approved by ICAO? Weren't there any tea drinkers on the relevant committee? Should we start a movement to have the definition of psychoactive substances amended to exclude tea and chocolate as well?:D

SayItIsntSo!

[Pandalet]

Actually, unless you're referring to herbal tea, tea contains caffeine too.

sad but true...

[Whirlygig]

SayItIsn'tSo,

Please say it isn't so!!!

Coffee contains far more caffeine per cup than tea. Although a kilogramme of tea contains more caffeine than a kg of coffee, you'll get more cups of tea to the kg of tea!

I think that whole list ought to be revisited otherwise my nascene career will never happen! I need tea on a regular basis as my flying school have noted when I'm in! The rest of the time it's diet coke although I restrict my Ben & Jerry's intake to Cookie Dough!

If there are any petitions or campaigning to be done - count me in! If these rules were to be obeyed throughout the world, the helicopter business would collapse!

Cheers

Whirls

[Te_Kahu]

Whirls,
You are correct about the amount of caffeine per cup of tea vs coffee. However, tea also has a lot of tanin, which can in some affect the metabolism of the caffeine. And as for the diet coke. Is that diet coke minus just the sugar (which is replaced by phenylalinine, or Nutrasweet as it is commercially known) or minus the caffeine too!
A predicament either way!!!
TK

[SASless]

But Whirls, old Lass, Ben and Jerry's by the bucket creates yet again another problem....how about your "sugar coma" that induces? How do you get around that beyond, yes.....a large cuppa or two!:E

[Whirlygig]

Te_Kahu,

Thanks your concern over my coke habit - I tend to go for unleaded diet coke in the afternoons and evenings but full leaded four-star diet coke in the mornings. However, it matters not a jot if I am on the Caley's Hot Chocolate!

It makes me laugh that scientists have just discovered that Aspartame is addictive - if they'd studied my drinking at Uni I could have told them that 20 years ago!

However, seriously folks - do not give diet drinks to children as phenylalalalaline inhibits brain development.

Cheers

Whirls

[O27PMR]

Pandalet...

I think you'll find the fact that tea contains cafeine was the whole point of sayitisntso's original post:ugh:

Personally, I never drink tea before flying... :) LSD:) works much better!

[Whirlygig]

:) LSD:) works much better!
Especially with the strobe effect of the rotors :eek: :p

Cheers

Whirls

[nigelh]

However, seriously folks - do not give diet drinks to children as phenylalalalaline inhibits brain development.

Whirls....what a load of BO*****S, i drank loads of phenylalalalaline and i,m fine ....so there....yaahh boooh sucks.....phwybib:rolleyes:

[ShyTorque]

Don't worry - it only affects spelling (and makes you want to own strange cars....).

[Whirlygig]

Ah! Sounds like we have another self-confessed NutraSweet addict!

Cheers

Whirls

[Gomer Pylot]

SayIt, you need to read the entire prohibition you posted. It doesn't say all psychoactive substances are banned, only those "which may render him unable to perform such function in a safe and proper manner." Caffeine is one of the more thoroughly studied compounds around, and has been shown to be generally very safe. It increases alertness and energy, but doesn't cause a rebound effect when it wears off. In effect, it actually increases the ability to perfom such functions in a safe and proper manner. Prohibiting the use of caffeine in the US would undoubtedly result in an armed insurrection, and could never be enforced. I suspect it might be the same in Europe.

As for aspartame, or NutraSweet, and any other artificial sweetener, I just can't take them. They all taste bad, and I'll go thirsty before I drink something sweetened with them, even if they were proven absolutely safe.

[Whirlygig]

Gomer Pylot,

Thank you. I can now sleep at night as this was causing me a great deal of concern. I cut out my tea and Ben & Jerry's intake just in case so I was probably a little tetchy :oh: :p

Cheers

Whirls

[O27PMR]

Hasn't anyone heard of sarcasm:confused:

No-one is suggesting banning Tea or any other drink containing caffeine:ugh:

Maybe it's just me, did I miss SayItIsntSo's original point???

[Whirlygig]

O27PMR,

I'm not sure sarcasm is the right word in this context; maybe irony would be better - like steely, only not as refined!

Not one post in this thread is serious so not sure what your point is!

Cheers

Whirls

[Skidkid]

Ever worked on a police unit?

Tea is the staple diet!

[Whirlygig]

Ever worked on a police unit?

Tea is the staple diet!
I've not worked in police unit but I did work in the construction industry where tea, 18 sugars was standard!

Didn't do me any harm, or my dentist!

Cheers

Whirls

[alghaita ganga]

Where I can get char-chasm? Is it also high in caffeine? I must admit to likeng gingembre tea with mint and honey. I'm sure this must contain natural aspartame and caffeine also non? :confused:

[Whirlygig]

I can guarantee that you can get char-chasm on any building site and hence, ipso facto, any police unit (apparently!)

But I'm not sure about this tea with mint and honey - sounds a bit herbal to me! I hope that's not like the herbal cigarettes I smoked at uni :}

Cheers

Whirls

[O27PMR]

My apologies Whirls...

I obviously mis-interpreted one or two of the above comments :O

Maybe my brain is a little addled from drinking too much tea:\

[Mama Mangrove]

Maybe you've been hitting the herbal tea a bit hard! Are you sure you didn't have a few herbal cakes or biscuits to go with it as well :}

[O27PMR]

No cakes, but I did have a slightly odd tasting mushroom omelette for breakfast:uhoh:

[SASless]

Since when do Police Units "work"?

[Whirlygig]

Since when do Police Units "work"?
I've seen them on Heli-Cops and Choppers Coppers :} A lot of tea and take-aways consumed but :D

Cheers

Whirls

[SayItIsntSo]

Hi Gomer Pylot,

No disagreement as to the full text but I am sure that most authorities will not accept that a pilot is a suitable person to make the required assessment, and that the lawyers would have a field day with the idea if the opportunity was to present itself.

Obviously prohibiting caffeine would not work and perhaps that is why ICAO has excluded coffee and tobacco from the prohibition. But surely we should also argue the same about tea. It seems from the postings that any attempt to impose a prohibition on tea would be as about as successful as a trying to impose a ban on sex.

As to the effects of caffeine some would argue that there is a rebound effect when it wears off, if you don’t top off the caffeine level again.

A quick Google found the Atlanta Dental Group website that states:
“Caffeine addiction can be so strong that patients experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms much like drug addicts when their drugs are taken away. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms can last between one and five days.

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms include: Headaches, Fatigue, Irritability, Cravings, Anxiety, Drowsiness, Stomachaches, Nausea, Nervousness, and Insomnia.

Some of the caffeine withdrawal symptoms can be reduced by drinking decaffeinated coffee. Although we prefer that patients not take analgesics, ibuprofen is probably best because it also helps with the muscle pain associated with caffeine withdrawal.”

And I had always blamed it on the booze for those feelings.

My point is that if the risk of pilots being adversely effected by a psychoactive drug is acceptable as long as it is caffeine (amongst others) and it is derived from coffee, then why does ICAO think that it is not acceptable to receive your ‘fix’ of the same / similar substance from tea and / or chocolate (et al) too?

Got to go...time for a cuppa!!:D

SayIt

[MBJ]

Used to work on a building site as a kid...recipe for proper tea:

1 x clean bucket
1 x packet of looseleaf tea
2 x tins sweetened condensed milk
Add boiling water and stir, keep near fire to stay hot.

Not a thinly-sliced cucumber sandwich in sight.

That's what I call psycho-active!

[Whirlygig]

Used to work on a building site as a kid...recipe for proper tea:

1 x clean bucket
1 x packet of looseleaf tea
2 x tins sweetened condensed milk
Add boiling water and stir, keep near fire to stay hot.

...AND a 2lb bag o' sugar surely!!

Cheers

Whirls

[MBJ]

...AND a 2lb bag o' sugar surely!!

Cheers

Whirls

Doh! Getting very senior and forgetful now!:(