Alcohol and diving: A cross-sectional study of attitudes towards alcohol consumption among 4322 French divers

Abstract

The consumption of psychoactive substances, and especially alcohol, in the hours before a dive affects the behavior and performance of divers and may increase the risk of accidents during diving. Alcohol consumption has a direct impact on diving, in addition to impairing psychomotor ability. Given the paucity of research on the topic, we decided to conduct a cross-sectional study with the aim of evaluating attitude toward alcohol consumption, predictors of chronic alcohol consumption and at-risk diving behavior defined as drinking within 6 h or less before a dive, in a French scuba diving population.

In our study, 4,302 responses were analyzed including 1,308 (30.4%) responses from women and 2,994 (69.6%) from men. In our sample, 49.9% of divers had a medium or high risk of alcohol dependence based on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test criteria. A total of 955 (30.0%) reported having drunk alcohol within 6 h or less before a dive. The number of divers who stated that alcohol consumption had affected or altered their dive was 280 (8.8%). A total of 853 (19.8%) participants declared having dived with a drunk partner. In univariate and multivariate analyses, males under 55 years with divemaster certification, had an increased risk of alcohol consumption before diving.

Millions of divers around the world could be given fair and balanced information on the risks associated with alcohol consumption on diving, and whenever possible, on safe alternatives to drinking before diving.