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[jbt123]

I actually keep my baby KSB's and Rough Scales on sand and they absolutely love it. They are sand boas, after all! As long as you're not a complete doof and actually feed them in the sand (I feed mine outside the cage), no problems should occur. I use calcium sand for reptiles, it's a little grainy but I feel more comfortable with the bigger sand particles than with the really fine ones.
HOWEVER, if your sand boa is showing any signs of sickness (such as an RI or what-have-you), keep them on aspen until the sickness subsides.
ALSO if you use sand, invest in a "humid-hut" and put moist moss under it. Keep it in the enclosure 24/7. Also make sure that you have belly heat on the other side of the tank, AWAY From the humid hut and the water bowl. If you decide to stay with aspen shavings (sani-chips work better), put a piece of cardboard or plastic under it so it doesn't get the shavings wet (that can cause mold). You don't have to do this if you use sand: it gets the sand under it moist and they love to "romp" around in it. And YES, sand boas do drink water (not often, but they do!). I've "caught" one of mine in the act before...and I had a pic of it, but I can't find it!X__X;

My reason for not liking aspen shavings for sand boas is that they get their sense of security by the weight of the object/substrate on top of them. You would have to use ALOT of shavings to give them that sense of security. If you decide not to use sand, get Sani-chips. They're great. They give them that added sense of security because of how densely they cover the bottom of an enclosure.

Honestly, I think I'm probably going to switch them over to Sani-chips in the near future, just because it's cheaper than sand if you buy it in bulk AND sand is REALLY HEAVY, not good for racking systems. Other than that, sand is great, and they seem to love it more than anything else.