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You are probably looking at the title of this article and wondering, did I read that right? The notion may seem foreign to most people in the United States, but after successful debut in Europe and Asia, the U.S. is in the eyes of Spirit Partners, Inc, the exclusive license holders to AWOL, Alcohol With Out Liquid.
The design behind AWOL is a simplistic yet novel approach. The AWOL machine contains an oxygen generator connected by tubes to a hand-held vaporizer. To use the machine, the user pours their choice of an 80-proof spirit into the vaporizer. The oxygen bubbles pass through a capsule where they encounter and absorb the alcohol, which is then converted from liquid to vapor before being inhaled through a tube. The mixture produces a cloudy vapor of alcohol safe for inhaling.
Once the alcohol enters the user’s mouth, it makes its way to their lungs where it is absorbed and enters the bloodstream. Since it enters the bloodstream through the lungs as opposed the stomach, it makes AWOL a low calorie, low carbohydrate substance.
AWOL does still affect any user the same way normal alcoholic beverages do. It leaves the body in the same manner and breathalyzer tests can still detect alcohol in an AWOL user.
Spirit Partners, Inc. states that the proper use of AWOL is the same, if not safer, than normal alcoholic beverages. They recommend AWOL users to have no more than two 20-minute sessions within a 24-hour period. Each 20-minute session will consume one vaporizer shot of alcohol, which is equivalent to about half of a regular shot size.
This usage warning brings up the question regarding college-aged binge drinkers. The safe use of regular drinking alcohol has been proven to be beneficial to people’s health, yet the improper use can cause negative side affects, things most everyone has experienced or at least seen happen first-hand. While the makers state AWOL is safe to use for 40 minutes a day, binge drinkers will break this warning and go headlong into an AWOL streak, undoubtedly.
One major benefit of the AWOL device is its guarantee of no hangovers. Since the alcohol is entering the bloodstream through the lungs, the worry of dehydration (a hangover) is significantly reduced.
AWOL is essentially a mix between drinking alcohol and the newly popular oxygen bars. Oxygen bars basically offer users flavored air to inhale, which is supposed to give make the user feel more relaxed and euphoric. Adding alcohol to this process, in my mind, simply seemed like the next step for people looking for a good time.
The price of AWOL is a bit steep. Being on the cutting edge of “alcoholic fun” will cost about $300, plus shipping, for a single user device. If users want to enjoy the AWOL simultaneously with some friends, commercial-sized 2-person simultaneous use AWOL’s will cost $2595, plus shipping. Tack on another $300 for a 4-person simultaneous use AWOL. In other words, it pays if you learn to share.
Check out the official AWOL site.
I'm seeing red.
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