A NEW HIGH, OR LOW?

'Vapor Alcohol' Leaves Lawmakers In A Huff

BOSTON -- State lawmakers are moving quickly to ban a device that
lets users get drunk by simply inhaling.

The device, AWOL (alcohol without liquid), mixes spirits, such as
vodka or whiskey, with pressurized oxygen to create a vapor,
according to the product's Web site. A person inhales the cloudy
mixture through a tube for about 20 minutes to consume one shot.

Kevin Morse, president of North Carolina-based Spirit Partners, Inc.,
the company that makes the AWOL device, did not return repeated phone
calls last week. Anyone caught with the device could face six months
of jail time or a fine up to $200, under the proposed law.

There is no research on the health effects of inhaling alcohol, but
the idea makes health officials nervous.

"The inhalation of other drugs is often the speediest way to get
drugs in the body, so I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't speed the
flow of alcohol's effect on the brain," said David Rosenbloom,
director of the youth alcohol prevention center at the Boston
University School of Public Health. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"The concern is this is a direct pipeline to the brain," said Dr.
Marc Siegel, a professor at New York University Medical School. "It's
very difficult to regulate the amount of inebriation you have
because it's such a rapid pathway." Siegel also said inhaling alcohol
allows it to avoid passing through the liver, which filters toxins
out of the body.

Spirit Partners cites comments from England's Department of Public
Health several times on its Web site, saying inhaling alcohol is no
more dangerous than drinking it, if a person follows instructions
properly. British officials did not respond to questions submitted by
e-mail. "It's an expensive toy, so I don't expect it to be under
every kid's bed," Rosenbloom said. "But I am sure people will find
ways to commercialize it, and find ways to experiment with it. Could
it spread? Sure. But there is no evidence of that yet."

The company touts AWOL as a low-carbohydrate way to experience
alcohol without the risk of hangovers, calling it "the ultimate party
toy," which promotes "a sense of well being and a mild euphoria."

AWOL costs about $300, and can be purchased online. That marketing
pitch spells trouble for many lawmakers on Beacon Hill, who worry it
could be harmful for teens and college kids. "It just seems like
something with a lot of potential for bad," said state Rep. Barbara
L'Italien, D-Andover, a co-sponsor of the bill to ban the device. "If
we block them now, before we hear they are bad, then all the better."
Peter Christie, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant
Association, said he does not know of any members who have expressed
interest in buying the device or who object to a ban."We are all for
the responsible service of beverage alcohol, and whether this is or
not, it's not beverage alcohol," Christie said.

Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council, supports
the ban. "The suggestion you can ingest alcohol and not have a
hangover, we think is a dangerous suggestion," Cressy said. Cressy
said the device does not pose competition to the alcohol industry.

He said eight states have banned the AWOL machine. Cressy is a former
chancellor of UMass Dartmouth and was a long-time Massachusetts resident.

Rosenbloom supports the ban, but he said the state could do more to
discourage young people from drinking, such as raising taxes on
alcohol and encouraging parents to talk to their kids about drinking.
"This is a new and cute and easy thing to do, but I'm not critical of
them for doing something about it," Rosenbloom said. "There are
important and effective opportunities for legislative action to
reduce teen drinking that will be much more important than this."

State Rep. John Quinn, D-Dartmouth, a sponsor along with state Sen.
Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford, said the Legislature is often accused
of being reactive. "I think we are trying to stop something, and
trying to be ahead of the curve for once. I don't know if we should
be criticized for that," he said. State Rep. James Miceli,
D-Wilmington, said he would support banning AWOL. Miceli acknowledged
he has never voted to ban cigarettes, known for causing serious
health problems.

"People have a right to smoke, though it is self-destructive, they
are not hurting others," Miceli said. "But if someone vaporizes, and
they go out on the road, they are playing Russian roulette."