As someone else said here we go again!
Unfortunately the scandanavians for all their tolerance in other areas have a very anally retentive attitude to alcohol (probably due to their high suicide rate).
All the information given to crews does give the state limits in promile per something or other, but no real information, (eg this can be achieved by sniffing a bar maids apron) and I have asked for clarification before someone jumps down my throat.
If you are doing european short haul then you are going to have a drink in the evening, we are socially programed for this and it does help you relax and unwind from the stress of the day. Its about time that the various authorities woke up to this, and supplied some real guidance or applied the same rules to all judges etc. ( that would get it changed pretty quick!!)
How about access to proper breath testing equipment calibrated to a common scale so that we can work out a sensible personal limit for the different countries. Not to difficult if they are really interested in safety.
However, there is the rub, this is nothing to do with safety. In 80 years of air crash investigation in the RAF only one accident could be attributed to alcohol, and given the amount consumed that is a real suprise.
A proper mature look at this involving representative bodies from all concerned is long overdue, rather than the knee jerk overeaction that the press drives which is of course what will happen.
PS having heard the rumors of what some of our younger pilots/cabin crew take to relax I would much rather fly with someone who`s up to the limit on alcohol!!