FL, when I said the risks posed by drunken pilots was negligible, I was of course taking into account that most pilots are responsible, that there has been a culture change with regard to alcohol and work generally which discourages irresponsible behavior, and that random tests sharpen awareness, so it is extremely rare for a pilot to go to work intoxicated.
(I was of course joking when I said I would refer a BA captain with a half bottle of wine,etc.)
In all seriousness, pilots are no more immune to alcohol problems than any other professional group, and I am concerned that the police seem to get involved at an early stage. This harshness is likely to discourage people from getting help before things get out of hand for them.
Do most airlines have in-house treatment programmes I wonder?
I believe it is entirely possible to go to work not realizing one has a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit, but it is not possible to innocently go to work with alcohol on the breath or some other signs of intoxication which give rise to the concern of colleagues. These people have clearly got a problem and they must be aware of it.The only "treatment" being arrest and dismissal, especially after sometimes decades of loyal service seems both unfair and unjust.