A new type of synthetic alcohol has been developed that could allow people to enjoy the effects of social drinking without the traditional hangover symptoms that usually follow.
The new drink, known as alcosynth, is designed to mimic the positive effects of alcohol but it does not cause the usual hangover symptoms. It has been created by Professor David Nutt, the former government drugs advisor who has patented around 90 different alcosynth compounds. He says that two of these are now being rigorously tested for widespread use and he hopes that by 2050 alcosynth could completely replace normal alcohol.
“It will be there alongside the scotch and the gin, they'll dispense the alcosynth into your cocktail and then you'll have the pleasure without damaging your liver and your heart,” Professor Nutt said.
“They go very nicely into mojitos.. They even go into something as clear as a Tom Collins. One is pretty tasteless; the other has a bitter taste."
By researching substances that work on the brain in a similar way to alcohol, Professor Nutt and his team have been able to design a drug which they say is non-toxic and replicates the positive effects of alcohol.
“We know a lot about the brain science of alcohol; it's become very well understood in the last 30 years,” said Professor Nutt.
“So we know where the good effects of alcohol are mediated in the brain, and can mimic them. And by not touching the bad areas, we don't have the bad effects.”
Advocates of alcosynth believe it could revolutionise public health by relieving the burden of alcohol on the health service.
Alcohol consumption is the third biggest risk factor for disease and death in the UK, after smoking and obesity.
"People want healthier drinks," said Professor Nutt. “The drinks industry knows that by 2050 alcohol will be gone."
"They know that and have been planning for this for at least 10 years. But they don't want to rush into it, because they're making so much money from conventional alcohol.”
Early experiments into alcosynth used a derivative of benzodiazepine however Professor Nutt says that the new drinks do not contain benzodiazepine, and that their formulas would remain a closely guarded, patented secret.
According to Professor Nutt, the effects of alcosynth last around a couple of hours, the same as traditional alcohol. He said he and his team have also managed to limit the effects of drinking a lot of alcosynth, so in theory it would be impossible to ever feel too 'drunk'.
“We think the effects round out at about four or five 'drinks', then the effect would max out,” he said.
“We haven't tested it to destruction yet, but it's safer than drinking too much alcohol. With clever pharmacology, you can limit and put a ceiling on the effects, so you can't ever get as ill or kill yourself, unlike with drinking a lot of vodka.”
However, the huge cost of funding research into the drug and regulatory concerns mean it could be a long time before people will be able to order an alcosynth cocktail.
