On the other hand, is it really that much of a scarifice to avoid having any alcohol to drink 8 hours before a flight? 8 hours bottle to throttle is a fair rule of thumb, if your going to have anything more that a galss of wine or two then leave it longer.
Truthfully, if you can't have a night or two without needing a drink you probably have a problem that needs dealing with - I know this might sound extreme but, if your job depends on it why would you risk getting caught?
Poor guy, but you have to ask - was this a one off? If so, why did he chance it? And, if not then perhaps it was the right result.
I know this sounds pretty unsympathetic but the rules were brought in for a reason.