A hangover-free future is once again being promised, this time courtesy of a controversial former drug czar. The Independent reports David Nutt—who was fired by the British government after claiming horse riding was more dangerous than ecstasy—developed about 90 compounds of something he's calling "alcosynth" and is testing out two for wide-scale alcohol replacement, which he says will happen by 2050. "They'll dispense the alcosynth into your cocktail and then you'll have the pleasure without damaging your liver and your heart,” Nutt says. He says the two alcosynth compounds being tested—one is bitter, the other mostly flavorless—work well in everything from a mojito to a Tom Collins.
Alcosynth will get you buzzed—though Nutt says they've capped how drunk you can get on it—without the side effects of nausea, headache, or dry mouth. "We know where the good effects of alcohol are mediated in the brain, and can mimic them," he says. "And by not touching the bad areas, we don't have the bad effects.” A nontoxic alcohol that doesn't let drinkers get blotto could save a lot of money, Time reports. The CDC estimated that over-consumption of alcohol cost US taxpayers up to $223.5 billion in 2006. But it could be years before alcosynth is available for your next party, according to the Adam Smith Institute. The libertarian think tank tells Sky News over-regulation will slow the release of what is essentially a new drug. (This study finds there is one proven way to prevent a hangover.)
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