Hangovers could soon be a thing of the past following the discovery of a new type of synthetic alcohol.
The drink, known as ‘alcosynth’, is designed to imitate all the perceived positive effects of alcohol but without the dry mouth, nausea and headache the morning after.
Its creator Professor David Nutt, the former government advisor on drugs, believes alcosynth could completely replace normal alcohol by 2050.
He told the Independent: “It will be there alongside the scotch and the gin, they'll dispense the alcosynth into your cocktail and then you'll have the pleasure without damaging your liver and your heart.”
Professor Nutt has already patented around 90 different alcosynth compounds, with two currently undergoing tests ready for widespread use.
“They go very nicely into mojitos. They even go into something as clear as a Tom Collins. One is pretty tasteless, the other has a bitter taste,” he said.
The effects of alcosynth are said to last around two hours and, according to Prof Nutt, max out after four or five drinks, meaning you never end up feeling too drunk.
Fans of alcosynth also suggest it could relieve a huge burden from the NHS, as alcohol is the third biggest risk factor for disease and death in the UK behind smoking and obesity.
Prof Nutt added: “We know a lot about the brain science of alcohol; it's become very well understood in the last 30 years.
“So we know where the good effects of alcohol are mediated in the brain, and can mimic them. And by not touching the bad areas, we don't have the bad effects.
“We haven't tested it to destruction yet, but it's safer than drinking too much alcohol. With clever pharmacology, you can limit and put a ceiling on the effects, so you can't ever get as ill or kill yourself, unlike with drinking a lot of vodka.”
Professor Nutt previously served as a drugs adviser to the last Labour government but was sacked after clashing with ministers over the dangers of cannabis.
