Unfortunately drug use is potentially rife in the superyacht industry. As in any industry where there is a lot of disposable income in a high energy atmosphere, drugs are exceptionally easy to come by. Cocaine, speed, ecstasy, marijuana and many others are all commonly used.

Almost all drug use starts off as recreational and because so many crew indulge, it is easy to be swept along with the crowd. However, there is a danger here. Unlike using drugs back home where you know the penalties, using drugs in a foreign country may lead to a very nasty situation where, if you are caught, you may face massive fines and imprisonment. Foreign prisons can be nightmares and most embassies won’t bail you out of jail for drug possession. In some countries, mere possession is punishable by death.

Most customs officials take an extremely dim view of drugs entering their port. Even traces of drugs can cause the crew to be imprisoned and the yacht impounded. The effect of this can be catastrophic on professional crew members’ careers, not to mention what happens when the owner finds out his holiday plans have been shelved for the foreseeable future because his yacht is neatly tied up in a drug enforcement agencies yard.
With the above in mind there is zero tolerance on non-prescription drugs on board all yachts so most drug use by crew members takes place ashore. Do not be tempted to take drugs on board. If the captain finds you to be in possession of drugs you will in all likelihood be thrown off, no questions asked. A captain is held responsible by the authorities for whatever his crew does. If one of his crew is found to be in possession of drugs the captain may be arrested too, therefore he has a vested interest in making absolutely certain that his vessel is drug free.

Penalties for drug use or possession in some countries can be extremely high indeed. Be aware of the dangers posed. Where you might get just a warning in the UK you could get as much as 12 years in a Taiwanese or Turkish jail for the same offence. Not a pleasant prospect. You may also be deported which means, at the very least, that you would never be able to visit that country again.
Many boats have their own, state of the art, drug detection systems installed on board. A captain is completely within his rights to ask for a urine or blood sample. If an illegal or banned substance is detected you will more than likely find yourself on the first plane home. On occasion the captain asks that this equipment be installed but more frequently it is the owner that demands his yacht be totally drug free.

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More on drugs
Nowhere in Europe are soft or hard drugs legal, despite what you may have heard about some places. Amsterdam tolerates personal consumption of hash or grass in small amounts, but you can still get busted for possession if the police think you’re trafficking. If you still insist on indulging, stick to cafés specially zoned for recreational use. Buying on the street is not advisable. Tourists have been sold soap powder, sugar and rat poison masquerading as drugs.
Small (TSA approved) luggage locks can help prevent someone slipping a little something into your pack while you’re merrily crossing a border. It is relatively simple for someone to turn you into a drug mule by placing drugs in your luggage or, even worse, bringing and hiding drugs on board. Carry nothing for anyone, across a border or anywhere else. Ever. Not even an envelope. If someone asks or approaches you about carrying something for them, leave the area immediately.

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Alcohol
Alcohol is a less significant issue as drinking is a more universally accepted pastime but nonetheless it still poses its own fair share of problems. Some boats will have an outright ban on the on board consumption of alcohol by crew. Naturally some of the Arab/Muslim boats operate under this ban too.

Some yachts will even go so far as to ask you to limit your intake of caffeine as well(!).