Self-medication threat to cabin crew

Flight attendants are being exposed to high levels of verbal, physical and sexual abuse from self-medicated and inebriated passengers, according to new research.

In the past 12 months, almost half (46 per cent) of cabin crew were verbally insulted by a passenger under the in fluence of medication, such as prescription painkillers, with 38 per cent suffering physical abuse.

Passengers claim the medication is to calm their nerves. Almost eight million admit they have taken drugs while flying in the past 12 months.

Ten percent of Scots who have taken medication before or during a flight also consumed alcohol.

One in 12 flight attendants also reported being sexually harassed by a drunk passenger in the last year.

Of the passengers who said they self-medicate, 24 per cent (1.87 million) took anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications such as Prozac or Zoloft, while 21 per cent (1.72 million) took sleeping tablets such as Temazepam.

Over two thirds of cabin crew in the Direct Line Travel Insurance survey said they had seen an increase in the number of passengers self-medicating.

A spokesman for Unite the union said: “The abuse and disruptive behaviour cabin crew have to contend with in doing their job and ensuring passenger safety would not be tolerated in any other industry or walk of life.”