The chance to enjoy an extra glass of wine after a stressful day at work without having to incur the wrath of a hangover is something most Americans wish for every single day. According to Imperial College Professor and former UK government drug advisor David Nutt, dreams of a hangover-free life might soon become reality.
Speaking to The Independent, Nutt mentioned the discovery of a new, non-toxic synthetic alcohol, "alcosynth," that would mimic the effects of the substance without causing next-day hangover downsides—dry mouth, headache and nausea. Nutt has already patented about 90 different alcosynth compounds.
"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," said Nutt while discussing two alcosynths that are already being tested for widespread use. According to the professor, they may be served across bars by 2050.
In addition to granting you a sickness-free drinking experience, alcosynths will supposedly also be able to control your level of drunkness.
“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.”
This isn't the first time alcosynths have taken center stage. Back in 2011, experiments into the synthetic substance relied on a derivative of benzodiazepine (in the same class of drugs as Valium) to produce the desired effects. Nutt, who plans on keeping his formula a secret, assured that his products will not contain benzodiazepine.
Happy hour drinks without a next-day headache? Cheers to that.