Star Trek Synthahol in the Works

[Logan Westbrook]

Star Trek Synthahol in the Works

Researchers in the UK are working on an alcohol substitute that will allow you to easily counteract its effects and be instantly sober again.

If you're a Star Trek aficionado, you've probably heard various crew members refer to synthahol, an alcohol substitute with easily ignorable effects, should some Borg or Romulan related emergency arise and they desperately need to be sober in a hurry.

If you've ever been watching the show and felt intensely jealous, then you'll be pleased to hear that a team at Imperial College London is working on just such a product. The new substance is being developed from chemicals related to valium and while it provides the same feeling of relaxation and wellbeing that regular alcohol provides, but without the parts that cause mood swings and additiction. Best of all, the effects of the new substance can be sloughed off by taking an antidote pill.

Project leader David Nutt envisions a world where people can drink and drink without ever getting past the pleasantly jolly stage: "No one's ever tried targeting this before, possibly because it will be so hard to get it past the regulators ... Most of the benzos are controlled under the Medicines Act. The law gives a privileged position to alcohol, which has been around for 3,000 years. But why not use advances in pharmacology to find something safer and better?"

Source: The Telegraph [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6874884/Alcohol-substitute-that-avoids-drunkenness-and-hangovers-in-development.html]


Permalink

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Well, this is interesting.
Still, I can't see booze with bad effects disappearing. we're not going to empty out valuable wine cellars just yet.

 

[dekuben]

Sadly I can only see this being treated the same way e-cigarettes are.
Saying that, e-cigarettes are crap.

 

[OmegaXIII]

No drunks? Youtube will suffer!

 

[Booze Zombie]

I don't think "the higher classes" will like this, my Dad has some sort of theory that the "higher classes" like the "lower classes" drunk because if they stopped and realised for a while, they'd overthrow the country or something.

Meh.

 

[Flishiz]

I don't think "the higher classes" will like this, my Dad has some sort of theory that the "higher classes" like the "lower classes" drunk because if they stopped and realised for a while, they'd overthrow the country or something.

Meh.

So is the weather in Westchester nice this time of year?
I think you may be wrong in that regard. Alcohol causes problems, and it's financial oppression, not alcoholic stagnation, that keeps the working classes down. If anything, it's shareholders in booze companies that would feel the pain on this one, but it's a business world, and all the better for them.

Anyway, OT, I would love to try this stuff out. There are times when I get myself drunk and do wild and crazy things, like play Endwar, but after a while I'd rather think about something that isn't how much I need to throw up.

 

[wooty]

Screw the drinks, I want whatever they put the food which means they can all eat utter shit yet still have such slender physics and muscle tone. That would be worth investing in

 

[robrob]

I don't think it'll replace alcohol by a long shot, biggest problem is that this isn't brewed at all and reproducing flavours will be difficult. Think about the taste of every light beer you've ever had.

But there are definitely benefits, anyone who is on call, relaxing drinks the night before work without any of the after effects. The hard part will be the issues, there are going to be people who forget to take the antidote, people who try to get hammered off it and making it actually legal. Sounds like it isn't at the moment.

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

If it tastes good and isn't significantly more expensive than regular booze, I'm willing to give it a shot.

Otherwise, I'll stick to my 'unhealthy' beer, thank you.

 

[Tirmoggles]

I would merrily try this, since it seems any alcohol generates a dwarf behind my eyes the next morning who seems intent on kicking my eyes out.

 

[quiet_samurai]

Eh..... I don't know. Until they are proven safe I have a really hard time trusting synthetic products, especially if they are for recreational use and not out of medical necessity. I think they should work on a "no getting fat" pill first.

 

[Disaster Button]

This is swell and all but they should skip all this and just get straight to making me a Holodeck dammit.

 

[Aardvark]

The threat of a vicious hangover the day after is one of the few things staving off my eventual liver failure.

Actually, I tell a lie, I'm one of those sods who can drink like a bastard on father's day, get a few hours shut-eye and wake up fresh as a daisy, no hangovers in sight.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

This sounds like Alcohol without all the fun parts of alcohol. Specifically the mood swings! I like going from giggly to horny to violent to confused to jolly to depressed at the drop of a hat, makes it exciting. Not to mention Valium is BORING and doesn't make it any easier to talk to girls.

 

[Dudeakoff]

I hope the people in this thread who enjoy alcohol don't go and hate on people who enjoy other recreational drugs.

 

[LTK_70]

If this does less damage to your body than actual alcohol, that's great! I doubt that's the case, though.

 

[thiosk]

This chemical will probably turn users into zombies.

Dangerous forces, these blokes are playing with.

 

[DarkLordofDevon]

I'm tea total, and if this is as good as it sounds I could go for it. Provided it has no side effects obviously. I'll be testing it on my housemate first.