Ganjika

Editors Note: i figured this was headline news worthy since its an update on the type of things Ex U.K drug tsar Professor David Nutt is moving on too since his firing for speaking out about the reclassification of marijuana and other aspects of the failing war on drugs... Pretty amazing stuff if you ask me...


U.K: New Synthetic Alcohol, all the good parts of Alcohol
without any of the bad.
The Sun | 11/10/09 |PROFESSOR DAVID NUTT





A SUBSTANCE said to give the feeling of booze without the health risks is being developed by controversial ex Government drugs tsar Professor David Nutt. The solution is added to liquid. It is claimed anyone using it will get the alcohol high without the hangover or deadly liver damage. There is even an antidote which would allow a user to DRIVE home after taking it. Here, the scientist - recently sacked as chairman of the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs after saying ecstasy is safer than alcohol - gives the reason for the innovation.

We have been poisoning ourselves for 2,000 years. Modern science can now provide a safer way for us to have fun.
Extraordinary claims ... Professor David Nutt

I am working on a prototype of a synthetic alcohol. We can make someone feel pleasantly inebriated then reverse it.

We have a partial alternative tested on volunteers. With Government backing, the first ever synthetic alcohol could be available in three to five years.

The potential for this is enormous. It could slash Britain's binge drinking epidemic, which currently costs the NHS £3billion a year, and reduce the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning.

At the moment it is very hard to treat alcohol poisoning - medics simply have to wait for booze to clear the system.

With the new approach, they would have an antidote available immediately.

Law enforcement could even have the antidote to use on revellers who have used the solution. We could get rid of liver cirrhosis, stomach ulcers, cardiac problems and a huge number of the toxic effects.

We have worked out how alcohol affects the brain and can target these areas. We gave one volunteer a substance similar to Valium, which is a sedative.

The feeling was similar to being drunk. We then reversed this.
We have the knowledge to make a far superior synthetic alcohol. But this project is hard to progress.

Firstly, there is little external interest, perhaps because people think this idea is too radical.

Secondly, selling the substance would be difficult. It would be classified as a drug and would fall foul of drug laws.

This is why we need Government support. Alcohol manufacturers may also protest...

At the moment we don't have a sensible approach to alcohol - it's time for a discussion about safe alternatives.

You are never going to stop people enjoying a drink. But if they are going to drink, let them do it without the terrible risks of alcohol.

I believe in 25 years we could be drinking high-quality, safe alcohol.
Hopefully in the future people will raise a toast over my grave with a glass of synthetic .

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Rellsun

Damn that would be pretty sick huh?

Buzzby

I hope his new wonder drug isn't a benzodiazepine like Valium. In some way benzodiazepines are worse than alcohol. Unlike heroin withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal and barbituate withdrawal can be fatal.

It'll be interesting to follow this story. When I saw the headline, I thought it must be a joke!

Personally, I much prefer the effects of marijuana to those of alcohol. I never drink enough to get drunk, as I hate interacting with drunks. I have no choice but to keep interacting with myself.

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boxmandude

Don't know how this will work out but it seems cool. Definitely want to see how this works out.

dirtbomb

I'll stick with weed, thanks.
Synthetic anything sucks.

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ADIDAS

This dont sound too good.

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klax

I have to agree. Science is amazing, but when it comes to engineering things for consumption, leave it to nature. This synthetic alcohol is either going to

A. kill multiple people due to an allergic reaction
B. taste like ass and no one will buy it because it tastes like ass
C. have some other adverse health effect instead of liver damage, maybe after too much of it, it'll give you kidney stones like soda and no one will buy it because with regular alcohol they don't get kidney stones.

Think this is a silly idea, I respect David Nutt, but this is goofy.

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Vicki

This guy is trying to make synthehol, like in Star Trek. He has to be a trekkie. It's an alcohol substitute created by the Ferengi that permits one to enjoy the intoxicating effects of alcoholic beverages without the deleterious consequences. Even if he succeeds, I'll still believe cannabis to be a safer choice.

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Ganjika

you consume plenty of synthetic chemicals everyday and probably never even know it [not that thats a good thing]- but when it comes to this mans form of synthetic alcohol - if it is actually a form of alcohol (from a scientific and molecular vantage point)- while also producing similar psychoactive effects while feeling the same and is reversible without any of the poisoning involved with regular alcohol, this is a huge scientific breakthrough - don't get me wrong, im not a big drinker, but even then, even if this didn't work out to the best it could, someday there will be an alcohol without the bad and only the good . I just wonder if what the professor has in mind for this case - is indeed a form of alcohol?

Alcohol is found all through out nature has even been found outside the Solar system. It can be found in low densities in star and planetary system forming regions of space. - don't see why it would be impossible to rework it and still keep it as alcohol and make it not as bad for one - life is the ultimate creativity and ANYTHING is possible! :-)

I agree Completely.

dj Dozhe

Considering the fact that there is an antidote involved I can't see any way that this could be a benzo. That is unless anyone knows an antidote to benzos other than no more benzos.