Stapes Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Lawmakers take sober view of vaporized-alcohol machines By Joel Currier Of the Post-Dispatch 02/20/2005 Missouri and Illinois lawmakers are trying to keep a new party toy from putting bar-hoppers here on the fast track to euphoria. But so far, the new machine that allows users to inhale vaporized booze doesn't seem to have made an appearance in either state. Legislators believe the machine - designed to produce an alcoholic buzz minus the carbohydrates, the calories or the hangover - is dangerous and should be banned before it enters the club scene in Illinois and Missouri. "It's my fear that the machine will encourage underage consumption, and we don't know enough about the devices yet and their safety," said Rep. Trent Skaggs, D-North Kansas City, the Missouri bill's sponsor. The vaporizer is called AWOL, short for "Alcohol Without Liquid." It transforms hard alcohol into mist with an oxygen generator. Users pull the alcohol vapor into their lungs with large inhalers. The device is "designed to allow people to enjoy the effects of alcohol mixed with oxygen" that creates "a sense of well-being and a mild euphoria," according to the Web site for Spirit Partners Inc., which distributes the machines. Sandy Pihos, R-Glen Ellyn, Ill., a co-sponsor of the Illinois bill, said the "machines put people at risk by having the alcohol go directly to the blood vessels and the brain, because alcohol wasn't made to be consumed that way." The Illinois bill's chief sponsor, Rep. Patricia Bellock, R-Westmont, said she was most concerned about the machines being marketed to young people as providing a low-carb, low-calorie, hangover-free high. The Missouri bill would ban the machines in bars and nightclubs across the state, while the Illinois bill would stop the sale and use of the devices without approval from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Lawmakers from both states expect to amend the bills to make the machines totally illegal. A bill also was introduced Feb. 8 in Congress that would temporarily ban the devices pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Inhaling alcohol, doctors say, sends a quick, potent dose of alcohol directly to the brain, because it bypasses the liver and diffuses into the bloodstream. Breathing alcoholic vapor may even have damaging effects on the lungs. "It's a shortcut and could potentially cause overdose," said Dr. Mark Comunale, chairman of St. Louis University's anesthesiology department. "If you think about it, it really has no other purpose than to get someone inebriated. It's analogous to direct placement of alcohol in the bloodstream. It's as close as you can get to going (intravenous) without going IV." The distributor's claim that the machine delivers a low-calorie, low-carb high is "bogus," Comunale said. Alcohol has the same calorie count when broken down by the body whether inhaled or drunk in liquid form. And hard liquor has no carbs. Skaggs says his bill is a "pre-emptive strike" against allowing the machines in Missouri bars and clubs because he is concerned the devices could cause people to feel more intoxicated than their blood-alcohol levels would show on breath tests. Pihos said banning the machines in Illinois is "proactive in preventing any heartache to any family in the future." Spirit Partners secretary Bill Sasser rejected claims that the machine is dangerous and could manipulate blood-alcohol levels. He said he used his machine every day for nine months and never got drunk. Users are limited to inhaling no more than 1.5 ounces of alcohol an hour, he said. "You're not going to get hammered off of this machine," Sasser said. "After about 15 minutes" of not using the machine, "you're stone-cold sober." That was the gist of a New Jersey bar owner's complaint when he returned his vaporizer after having it just four days in October. "It's actually a big waste of breath," said Steve Baskinger, 34, owner of the Bask Bar & Grill in West Paterson, N.J. "I've done shot after shot after shot after shot from that machine, and it absolutely does nothing for you. The only thing you're doing is sucking wind." Banning the machines is a waste of time and tax dollars, Baskinger added. But a bartender in Florida had a much different experience. The Sun on the Beach bar in Kissimmee, Fla., hooked up a machine for a night in December and charged people $10 a shot, said Anthony Schambers, 26, a bartender at the nightclub. "It looked like a nitrous (oxide) party," said Schambers, who was worried that users might hop in their cars feeling drunk and still pass breath tests. The effects of the machine, he said, were instant and powerful. Health experts say alcohol in the bloodstream, whether delivered in liquid or vaporized form, should result in the same breath test readings. The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control already prohibits liquor licensees from operating any self-service, coin-operated or mechanical device that dispenses alcohol. The devices are legal in Illinois, although the state would look for regulatory loopholes to prevent their use in bars and nightclubs, said Bob Bugielski, associate director of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Bugielski said he gets the impression the machines have failed commercially and haven't appeared anywhere in Illinois. Sasser said his company has sold "hundreds" of machines since August. They start at $299 for individual sizes, up to $2,895 for commercial versions capable of serving two to four people at a time. New York, Colorado, Connecticut and Florida legislators have proposed bans on the machines, citing health risks, potential increases in alcohol abuse and drunken driving. The Kansas City City Council adopted an ordinance in September prohibiting the machines in bars and nightclubs. The Missouri vaporizer bill is HB250. The Illinois vaporizer bill is HB0686. LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Well, if they ban breathing alcohol in, I guess people could always try alternate means... Aloha, BRAD (Breathing Raw Alcohol's Deadly) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 turkey-bag of scotch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Evil_Mouse Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Well, if they ban breathing alcohol in, I guess people could always try alternate means... Eww. Did they get the idea watching Trainspotting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Large Marge Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 They start at $299 for individual sizes, up to $2,895 for commercial versions capable of serving two to four people at a time. Who wants to start fundraising? We could install one at Izzy's :: :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Is this one different then the one they were pushing last year? http://www.awolmachine.com/page-2.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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