Indian airlines could ban perfume, cologne for crew
Pilots and crew on Indian airlines may soon be barred from wearing perfume or cologne as the country moves to tighten regulations around alcohol consumption by aviators.
The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s new rules are meant to reduce the risk of false positives on breathalyzer tests.
The proposed regulation reads: “No crew member shall consume any drug/formulation or use any substance such as mouthwash/tooth gel/perfume or any such product which has alcoholic content. This may result into positive breath analyser test. Any crew member who is undergoing such medication shall consult the company doctor before undertaking flying assignment.”
According to Terri Daniel, a criminal defense lawyer in McKinney, Texas, it is possible for perfume to affect the outcome of a breathalyzer.
“If you’ve used a product that contains alcohol, the Breathalyzer might detect the alcohol concentration and report a false positive. Products that contain alcohol include toothpaste, aftershave, hand sanitizer, bleach, mouthwash, perfume and cologne. Even spraying bug repellent on yourself can produce a false positive,” Daniel’s website says.
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India’s new rules were ratified in 2015 but are open to public comment until Thursday.
Alcohol-related offenses are serious issues in aviation when they occur.
A United Airlines pilot had his license suspended and was fined 4,500 euros after showing up drunk to work a U.S.-bound flight from Paris in July. His sentence also included six months in prison, but that portion was suspended.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for Paste BN based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com