Summary: Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Coast Guard's efforts to reduce alcohol problems on commercial vessels, focusing on its: (1) procedures to screen merchant mariner applicants for alcohol abuse; and (2) readiness to enforce intoxication regulations. GAO also identified the number of: (1) applicants the Coast Guard rejected because of alcohol abuse; and (2) maritime accidents attributable to alcohol.
GAO found that: (1) the Coast Guard's documentation and licensing process, which allowed it to screen merchant mariner applicants, was limited due to gaps in its legislative authority and insufficient procedures for collecting and verifying relevant information during the screening process; (2) the Coast Guard's readiness to enforce intoxication regulations on vessels was limited because officers did not have the appropriate training or equipment to administer timely intoxication tests; (3) it could not determine the number of applications rejected because of alcohol abuse, the number of alcohol-related accidents, or other data on alcohol problems, due to the Coast Guard's lack of a reporting system; (4) the Coast Guard did not require applicants or physicians to report medical problems resulting from alcohol use; and (5) over a recent 3-year period, 4,247 licensed merchant mariners were reported for drunk-driving violations. GAO also noted similarities and differences among the Coast Guard's and two other Department of Transportation (DOT) agencies' intoxication regulations.
