Better get ready for this in a few months ...

Alcoholic mist faces opposition before its debut

8/19/2004 4:55 PM
By: Associated Press

NEW YORK -- A new machine that allows bar-hoppers to inhale liquor instead of drinking it is set to make its debut in New York City on Friday night.

The machine, called Alcohol Without Liquid -- or AWOL -- is already available in Europe and Asia. It combines alcohol and oxygen to create an inhalable alcoholic mist.

Andrew Spano, the county executive in Westchester County, NY, said he is worried the machine will attract underage drinkers and is seeking a local or statewide ban.

Distributor Spirit Partners has touted AWOL as a low-carb, low-calorie and hangover-free alternative to drinking.

The company said the machine sends alcohol into the bloodstream faster than drinking, resulting in a quick buzz. But it also said the level of alcohol in the body after AWOL use is lower than for traditional drinkers.

Have alcoholic beverage makers become the new cigarette companies, specializing in marketing to underage drinkers? I thought I'd seen it all the other day, when I saw that they now make "Sophia Coppola" brand sparkling wine in a can. It's in a skinny little red can with a straw taped to the side of the can. So you can drink your bubbly through a straw in the car. I asked the clerk who bought this stuff, and he said, "It's popular with the under 21 crowd." What's next?