- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: NEW ALCOHOL MACHINE FOR INHALING DRINK
- Date: 17th March 2004
- Summary: (L!3) LONDON, UK (MARCH 15, 2004) (REUTERS) MAN IN BAR SITTING ON SOFA INHALING ALCOHOL WITHOUT LIQUOR (AWOL) MACHINE CLOSE-UP OF MAN INHALING AWOL CLOSE-UP OF AWOL DEVICE WITH GREEN LIGHT INDICATING ON WIDE SHOT OF AWOL BOTTLE, MEASURING VIAL AND TUBES CLOSE UP OF AWOL KNOB THEN FOCUS ON MEASURING VIAL WIDESHOT OF PEOPLE IN BAR SITTING AROUND WATCHING AWOL CREATOR DOMINIC SIMLER ORALLY INHALING ALCOHOL OVER-THE-SHOULDER BACK SHOT OF SIMLER USING DEVICE (SOUNDBITE)(English) DOMINIC SIMLER, AWOL CREATOR, SAYING, "Through AWOL you enjoy the taste and the experience much more than through traditional means because it really opens out the flavour of the spirit that you are inhaling. You can't get that flavor from just drinking it." CLOSE-UP OF GLASS OF WATER WITH LEMON, PULL OUT TO WOMAN USING AWOL DEVICE PAN FROM AWOL DEVICE TO FACE OF WOMAN USING MACHINE (SOUNDBITE)(English) DOMINIC SIMLER, AWOL CREATOR, SAYING, "The idea of abusing alcohol is something we totally reject and in fact, with AWOL, it's very difficult to do that because of the length of time it takes to inhale a shot of alcohol, typically one hour. The idea of abusing alcohol is something we know about and this is something which we believe is actually helping people take less alcohol." MAN NASALLY INHALING ALCOHOL THROUGH TUBE (SOUNDBITE)(English) GORDAN MILINKIVOT, AWOL USER, SAYING: "Mellow, sort of woozy feeling... not drunk but relaxed, laid back... quite nice." MEDIUM SHOT OF GEETHIKA JAYATILAKA, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT ALCOHOL CONCERN CLOSE-UP OF HANDS ON PUBLICATION OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOT OF JAYATILAKA READING PUBLICATION (SOUNDBITE)(English) GEETHIKA JAYATILAKA, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT ALCOHOL CONCERN "I would think that it is much easier to consume a number of hits of this machine rather than drinking vast numbers of pints over an evening and I think it's something we have to watch very carefully." PAGING THROUGH PUBLICATION "ALCOHOL HARM REDUCTION STRATEGY FOR ENGLAND" (SOUNDBITE)(English) GEETHIKA JAYATILAKA, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT ALCOHOL CONCERN "There's also been some suggestion that taking alcohol in this way may speed up the metabolism process and it may mean you get drunker quicker and on much smaller quantities than you would if you take it as a drink." WIDE-SHOT SHOT OF MAN USING AWOL ORALLY WITH BEER TAPS IN FOREGROUND CLOSE-UP OF MAN AFTER USING DEVICE ANOTHER MAN USING AWOL MACHINE (2 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 1st April 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVABOBIV3SG4WM0VJ5U77CO3KLT6
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Don't like drinking alcohol? Try snorting it. The Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) machine lets you inhale or snort your favourite alcoholic drink, bypassing the stomach and liver to go straight into your bloodstream.
Don't like hangovers and fed up with the calories from alcohol? Try snorting it. A new machine invented by a London businessman is being marketed as a breath of fresh air for bars, clubs and pubs in the UK. But doctors and alcohol concern groups are warning of the potential dangers of the device, particularly that it could lead to brain damage.
Because the alcohol is snorted or inhaled, it bypasses the stomach and liver to delve straight into the bloodstream for a more intense hit on the brain.
30-year-old Dominic Simler is the brainchild behind the Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) machine and came up with the uncanny way to ingest alcohol after promoting oxygen for aromatherapy and exercise purposes.
Worldwide response and demand for the product has been overwhelming, said Simler. Since first launching the product a year ago, he has sold 50 AWOL machines at about $2500 (£1500) a piece and is about to seal the distribution rights in the U.S.
Although any spirit can be used, Simler prefers absinthe, which has an alcohol volume of 68%.
"Through AWOL you enjoy the taste and the experience much more than through traditional means because it really opens out the flavor of the spirit that you are inhaling. You can't get that flavor from just drinking it," said Simler.
Gordan Milinkivot, a bargoer who tried AWOL first the first time, described the feeling as "Mellow, sort of woozy feeling... not drunk but relaxed, laid back... quite nice."
But medical experts and alcohol reduction groups such as Alcohol Concern have attacked the AWOL machine as potentially dangerous to health as well as citing a number of social implications.
Geethika Jayatilaka, (pronounced GEE-ti-kah ji-YAH-ti-LAH-ka) Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Alcohol Concern said the AWOL machine has the potential to cause serious damage to health.
"I would think that it is much easier to consume a number of hits of this machine rather than drinking vast numbers of pints over an evening and I think it's something we have to watch very carefully. There's also been some suggestion that taking alcohol in this way may speed up the metabolism process and it may mean you get drunker quicker and on much smaller quantities than you would if you take it as a drink," said Jayatilaka.
Other medical experts warn that because there's so little alcohol in the system, breathalyser tests cannot detect it.
Simler defends his invention, saying the AWOL device has a built-in safety mechanism that prevents people from overdosing. He says he does not recommend anyone who uses the AWOL machine to drive or operate heavy machinery afterwards.
"The idea of abusing alcohol is something we totally reject and in fact, with AWOL, it's very difficult to do that because of the length of time it takes to inhale a shot of alcohol, typically one hour. The idea of abusing alcohol is something we know about and this is something which we believe is actually helping people take less alcohol."
Cost per "hit" depends on how long the machine is used for but typically varies between $5-$10. As well as producing alcohol vapor, the AWOL generator can be used for oxygen only inhalations and facials. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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