You might enjoy the buzz you get from alcohol on a night out but you do have to put up with downsides which include hangovers. You’re also not supposed to drive when you’re inebriated so put some money aside for the cab back home as well. All that might be a thing of a past if scientist David Nutt’s synthetic alcohol substitute takes off. He says that his fake alcohol will give you a buzz but not get you drunk.
Alcarelle is what he calls his fake alcohol. According to Nutt, this synthetic alcohol can allow drinkers to experience everything they enjoy about having a drink but not worry about getting a hangover. Nutt told the Guardian that he can design his synthetic alcohol molecule to interact with the body in a way that doesn’t induce any of the negative side effects.
“The effects of alcohol are complicated but…you can target the parts of the brain you want to target,” he said. The scientist mentions that he’s working on giving this synthetic alcohol molecule a “peak effect,” which would prevent drinkers from crossing the line between being buzzed and absolutely wasted. It’s being designed to lack toxicity which would reduce the risk of health issues associated with drinking.
His goal is to manufacture Alcarelle and sett it to beverage companies who can add it to their drinks. Just don’t expect to find those drinks at the bar in the near future. It may take up to five years for all of the necessary safety testing and regulatory approvals to be done with.
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