Charter Fishing Drug Testing Policy
When booking a fishing charter in Orange Beach, Alabama, it is important to book your trip with captains and fishing guides who are members of the Orange Beach Fishing Association / Alabama Charter Fishing Association because we have the strictest drug and alchohol testing programs in the area. The reason is, you need to protect your family and put them on a boat with a captain who is not under the influence of prescription drugs, opioids or alcohol. The charter fishing industry has long been known to be the last frontier. As with any frontier country, it takes a while to get her under control and tame her. Alchoholism and rampid drug use in the work force has always been a problem in the marine industry. Until January 1, 2018, the Department of Transportation changed all of that. The U.S. Coast Guard issued the Expansion of Department of Transportation Drug Screening to Include Semi-Synthetic Opiates to their testing protocols. This means that they are now testing captains and fishing guides for widely abused prescriptions like Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, oxymorphone, oxycodone (opiods) in their drug panel. The common names of these drugs are Percodan, Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab, Norco, Dilaudid and Exalgo. These are very dangerous and addictive drugs.
What does this mean for you, the consumer?
When choosing a fishing charter in Orange Beach, you need to ask the Captain if they are a member of the Orange Beach Fishing Association or the Alabama Charter Fishing Association. This is because we know that our guides and captains are members of a reputable drug testing consortium and are regularly tested for these drugs. If you arrive at your charter and your captain or deckhand are acting weird, drunk, hungover or anything else, you have the right to not get on their boat or suggest a refund of any deposits they have made you pay. Would you let your kids ride with a drunk driver or someone who is impared? The answer is no. So, don't take a chance if you see any or smell anything that is not normal.