A famous British scientist has invented a substance that allows you to enjoy the tipsy buzz brought on by a few drinks without a nasty hangover in the morning! What is this miracle drug we speak of? The inventor, Professor David Nutt, calls it “Alcosynth.” In addition to preventing hangovers while allowing you to enjoy a relaxing buzz, this benzodiazepine-derived substance also “removes the risks of liver toxicity, aggression and loss of control.”
If benzodiazepine sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve probably come across its brand name, which would be Valium. If that just raised a few alarm bells, don’t worry, Dr. Nutt — former UK ‘Drugs Tsar’ by the way — says his derivative compound is not addictive. In addition to Alcosynth, the professor has invented a second compound, which he calls “Chaperone.” Here’s how the Telegraph describes its effects:
His second wonder drug is a so-called “chaperone”, which would attenuate the effects of alcohol. Take a pill with booze, and it’s impossible to become drunk to the point of incapacitation. The price point would be set quite high, to stop the drug from being abused, but this “sober up pill” could be popped on the way home, reducing drink-driving accidents, and other alcohol-related incidents and crime.
Alcosynth is expected to be inexpensive when and if it hits the market. According to the Telegraph the rollout plan will go like this: “Both drugs would be available in high-end cocktail bars at first, claims Nutt. The alcohol substitute would be marketed as a companion to a regular tipple and relatively cheap to buy.”
Professor Nutt may have coined the phrase “Alcosynth,” but his substance reminds us of Star Trek The Next Generation’s “Synthehol,” which Commander Data (an android!) described like this:
It is an alcohol substitute which is now normally served aboard starships. It simulates the appearance, smell, and taste of alcohol, but the intoxicating affects can be easily dismissed.
While Synthehol had its (fictional) detractors, Captain Jean-Luc Picard made the case for a booze-like substance that offers all the upsides without any of the potential downsides:
Robert Picard (a 24th century French winemaker) believed that synthehol corrupted his brother Jean-Luc Picard’s taste for wine, while Jean-Luc believed it gave one a greater appreciation for the real thing.
Welcome to the future — where you can have your wine, real or fake, and drink it too.
Header Image via Shutterstock.com
