Meds and beer when fishing and boating?

This became a subject in a thread up on Bob's board today. It's an important one. A number of us, including me (just not near as much as a couple ifish people are woofin about), occassionally use one or both of those while fishing; one for a signficant reason (meds) and one for kicks (alcohol). The Oregon State Marine Board states that statistics show that lack of lifejackets and alcohol use are the number 1 and 2 cause of boating fatalities. Read the posts taken from Piscatorial, including mine toward the bottom, and learn some facts about certain meds. And also give us your take on what constitutes proper or improper type alcohol consumption for boaters. Thanks.

The posts:

sinker - posted 10-19-2001 02:56am

Tell your Doc to give you the good stuff. I still have a whole bottle of Percocet from a surgery in June. I started itching after being on them for a day so they gave me some other stuff.
Man I love them babies, haven't taken any since right after my surgery though. Savin 'em for a rainy day.
I told the wife they're better than s@x. She gave me a real funny look on that one. I said it's a totally euphoric feeling for a couple hours. You just sit and veg, ain't had no sex that good
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SINK'ER SWIM [ hey sinker, that might fit in the fishing and sex comparo thread [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ]
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Pitch Pocket - posted 10-19-2001 08:05am

Percocet is a class 2 narcotic with oxycodone, which is a very strong narcotic derivative. Very addictive, especially if you take them recreationally. The country is full of addicts that started out enjoying the effects that you describe.
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Earth First!
(We'll log the rest of the planets later.)
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sinker - posted 10-19-2001 10:59am

Pitch Pocket,
Calm down now, I ain't gonna turn into no druggie here. I've had these things sittin here for 4 months now.
If I was to become "addicted" I have no source to get others.
I know about this addiction too well, my aunt was an office mgr in a Docs office and was addicted to presciption drugs for yrs. She is now retired and I know of no other way to get drugs than having double hernia surgery again. Something I never plan on doing again. Even on percocet it hurt like **** !!!!
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SINK'ER SWIM
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Pitch Pocket - posted 10-19-2001 11:20am

Whew, I thought we'd have to do an intervention or something.
Seriously, I've seen too many friends die using narcotics as I grew up. Hate to see anyone refer to them as "fun". If you don't need them anymore, I'd flush them. Don't want your kids to find them.
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RT 1 - posted 10-19-2001 02:57pm

You are right on about these pain meds Pitch! In addition to addictive properties, if you use them too often they lose their effectiveness to control serioius pain when you need them too; and they lose the mild high they tend to give you. The only time I've used them [5mg hydrocodone] for several days in a row was for my surgery back in spring 2000 and recently with the broken tailbone. That is when you start to get a bit wired and a lot irritable. I haven't renewed since I ran out the other day (from the accident) and won't for awhile. I occassinally use them for fishing if my lower back or left foot (surgical caused arthritis) is in need, but I normally will not take them more than back to back days. That wards off both the addiction and the deminished effectiveness factors. Be smart and careful with using this stuff.

RT
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Same with the alcohol! (Smoking danger is mostly up to you.)

And this is related to fishing how? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] Just when I thought this board was cool some guy is talking about being hopped up on pain meds. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] No class here.

[boater]

life jackets ? i`d like to know why boat companys that run adds in all the magizines rairly show people wearing them, also the picture on the front of the washington fishing regulations has an alumaweld with 3 guys in it, no life jackets. they need to send a message that its good to wear them. just my useless 2 cents worth.

Geeez. Another reading challeged whinner. Go back to read "And also give us your take on what constitutes proper or improper type alcohol consumption for boaters. Thanks." (Also, enigma is a newly registered moniker by a member that has already been here - as his 5 posts and flaming specifics indicate. There are a handful of others that have done the same thing recently; quickly register a new monkier to flame, rather than stand behind there real personna [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] ).

The thread is about substance consumption, and how it relates to safe fishing in boats - as the topic title clarified before you choose to click on it. And the post also stated the State Marine Board stats for the 2 highest causes of boater fatalities. There are a lot less fishing related and less beneficial posts in this BB than this one! Are you going to let it go as requested?

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: RT ]

[FEAR NO FISH!]

RT,
What were once vices are now habits! RT you should never repeat what other people are doing. Nobody likes a tattle-tale.Its all legal till you get caught. Altered states are not conducive to fishing. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

TEAM VORTEX!
TEAM NO-DOZ!

[sinker]

i think enigma's moniker should be "INGNORANCE"!!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Jeez, take a chill pill and read what you're ranting about.

Steve all I can tell is when I was on pain meds I wouldn't have wanted to stand on the SHORE of a river let alone in a boat.

Then again if it was something really weak, like codeine certain individuals could get away with it. Others don't have much tolerance for it.

Oh yeah, another thing you don't want to do, is mix those little pills with beer or any other alcohol. It tends to put you into a deep sleep and then your heart stops. Kinda hard to catch fishies then!!!

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: sinker ]

[fishbait]

RT,
When I read the title, I thought you were talking about your lunch on our last trip.............

Hey fishbait, learn to use the smilies with your posts man. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Or else I might tell them about you going into langerie shops to try on clothes. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ 10-21-2001: Message edited by: RT ]

[Pete]

There is some controversy over drinking while fishing from a boat (not the bank). After a board member encountered difficulty on TBay a month or so ago I called the Coast Guard, the OSP and the Tillamook Sheriff to find out what the law is regarding drinking and boating. The Coasties deferred to the OSP and Sheriff. Both the OSP and the Sheriff told me it is illegal to have an open container of alcoholic beverage in a boat. This surprised me. I was unable to find a reference to any such law in the Oregon Revised Statutes. There is, however, a prohibition to operating a vessel while intoxicated.

The State of Oregon has an interesting statistic. In 2000 there were something like 400 arrests for boating under the influence. What makes this really interesting to me is that there were ZERO such arrests in Tillamook county. I find it unlikely that there were no intoxicated boaters in Tillamook County. It seems more likely there was less enforcement that in other counties.

Recently Garibaldi, which also provided police service to Bay City, discontinued their police operation. Now, the Tillamook County Sheriff provides that coverage by default. I'd expect to see the zero statistic change significantly this year. I think one board member would agree that this is a likely scenario.

Bottom line: some police agencies believe it is illegal to drink while in a boat, regardless of intoxication ... it justifies being cautious if you choose to pop a cold one.

[Dogfish]

I vaguely remember getting Vicodin, Percoset, and Hydrocodene for a series of medical issues including a vasectomy, a cracked tailbone (very big ouch, I know your pain RT), and a removal of 3 wisdom teeth. All were quite powerful, and I can't imagine trying to drive, boat, or even fish while on them.

The day after my vasectomy we had a garage sale advertised as "Vasectomy forces sale of baby clothes." The Vicodin helped to mask the pain enough that I had a real fun time observing the people, but even counting money was a bit of an issue for me, and I'm a banker!

I stopped taking my pain meds early in all cases because I didn't want to feel thick for too long. I did enough of that in college, if you know what I mean.

Be careful. These are powerful narcotics. Use them only under a physicians care, and never give them to your buddies. They will cloud your judgement much more so than 6 beers, and like SINKER said, mixing them with alcohol will get you nothing but the big dirt nap. If you take them, stay at home, you'll be much safer.

Andy

[dampainter]

you know what they say: don't mix alcohol and drugs,if the drugs are needed than one should use caution while on em, if they are impairing judgement stay home... as for the alcohol I think it takes good judgement just like at any other time...but isn't drinking and boating(driving the boat) illegal? do the gamies have the authority to do breathalyzers? and issue b.u.i.'s (boating under the influence)

[Pitch Pocket]

Even though it sounds like a public service announcement, I think RT's post hits home and is relevant to this site. With the police cracking down on DUII in boats and cars, you can't be too careful......or too safe.

On the other hand, how many people already read the thread on Piscatorial Pursuits? Admit it, most of us lurk over there to see what's going on. I like PP for the variety and the occasional drama. Heck, I still check Don's Salmon & Sturgeon page first before I come here just to see what's up.

[Firedog]

Good Post RT, A lot of people still have trouble remembering not to drink and drive
let alone driving a boat. I think if they were able to see what someone looks like after
the car they were in just hit a tree and was torn in half it might stop that habit. Not a
pretty site when a person's brains are spread across the ground and there isn't a
recognizable feature to their face. Trust me, I saw it just the other night and many
times before.Drink Responsibly and don't use prescription med. for fun.

[ 10-20-2001: Message edited by: firedog ]

[livininthezoo]

Firedog hit the nail on the head. I've seen all too many crash related injuries and deaths, all because someone wanted to have some fun. In our state we now have DRE's (drug recognition experts) who will arrest and charge a person who is not only under the influence of alcohol, but now any controlled substances that impair their ability to operate a vehicle. Boats are no exception. If you have to take meds that's fine. Most of us do from time to time. Just use good judgement and let someone else operate the car or boat so I don't have to come and clean up the mess, or worse become part of the mess. Thanks all, just my thoughts.