Hi All.
This is a strange thread. First, these comments are more valid in the USA and its territories but they can apply to all countries. It addresses the effects of drugs on diving and on dive boats, as the effects of many kinds of recreational drugs are too numerous to detail.
Immoral:
Taking mind altering drugs while diving is irresponsible to the buddy, and the entire crew of the boat. You need to be cognizant to follow the rules of diving, just as much as driving on roads. Should trouble arise, both buddy, crew and possibly the Coast Guard will put themselves at some risk to rescue the intoxicated. If the intoxicated diver gets away with it diving under the influence because s/he 'can deal with it', no problem, but as you can only die once, its a completely avoidable risk. The degree of mind alteration varies with drugs, LSD is worse that cocaine for example, as LSD produces hallucinations. But morally, the intoxicated diver has no right to involve the buddy or boat in his/her choice of entertainment unless the boat and the buddy are aware of it too. If so then ... its
Illegal:
Possession of recreational drugs is Federally and locally illegal, but is not as strictly enforced in land or in private dwellings by local police, but the USCG will throw the book at you if found on boats. Even if drugs are not found, a case can me made that it is found, inside the body of the intoxicated after a drug screen. USCG is known for very strict enforcement on illegal drugs. Since a case can be made that the drugs are owned or sanctioned by the boat captains, the captain could loose his license and his boat, while the intoxicated can get a fine or suspended sentence. Even if not so, enough doubt can be made to impound the boat pending an investigation. Most USCG approved boats will usually enforce their own brand of justice not because they care about US law, Captain and crew could well use same drugs on land too after hours, but because the presence of drugs threatens their boats.
http://www.sailorlaw.com/recboat.html
Toxic:
As far as the effects of various recreational drugs, the toxicity and effect varies with dose. For the most part, like all drugs they have side effects. This is not a major concern at the moment of the dive, say if it gives a toxic hepatitis, that's the users problem. What matters more is the altered mental state that reduces the reliability of the intoxicated diver in making rational judgments for the safety of himself and the buddy. Other effects maybe inconsequential on the surface: stumbling on the street, eating garbage, hallucinating or vomiting are less a problem than if the same desires were to occur underwater: unable to maintain buoyancy, unable to control ascent, unable to watch gauges, attempting to eat or destroy coral, vomiting etc., produce more hazards because of the water. Of course, the danger is worse the deeper you go.
So long as the intoxicated person injures only himself and pays for his own care, I don't have any concerns. However, as the US and the rest of the world moves towards government paid for health care insurance, all members of society will pay for rescuing and curing the intoxicated person's excesses, and it will show in your tax dollars. Thus, s/he may be having "fun" at your expense.
Further, the world is full of those who claim they can 'handle' drugs. I believe they can, most of the time, and so long as the instances they can't handle it doesn't affect anyone else. Alas, again, you can only die or kill someone once, and there are a lot of DWI and dead kids around, not a major volume I might add, who are dead because of people who thought they could handle it.
http://www.madd.org/home/
