Hangover-free alcohol coming next

London

A new version of alcohol that does not come with hangover will be commonplace by 2050, a British professor has claimed.

The new type of synthetic alcohol, known as "alcosynth", is designed to mimic the positive effects of alcohol but does not cause a dry mouth, nausea and throbbing head, according to creator professor David Nutt.

The Imperial College professor said he had patented around 90 different alcosynth compounds and two of them are now being rigorously tested for widespread use so that by 2050, alcosynth is served at bars.

"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," Nutt told 'The Independent'.

"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 added.

Researching substances that work on the brain in a similar way to alcohol, Nutt and his team have been able to design a drug which they say is non-toxic and replicates the positive effects of alcohol.

"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," Nutt said.

He said the effects of alcosynth lasted around a couple of hours — the same as traditional alcohol.

Nutt said he and his team had also managed to limit the effects of drinking a lot of alcosynth, so in theory it would be impossible to ever feel too "drunk".

The drink is a derivative of benzodiazepine — commonly used to treat anxiety disorder — but does not cause withdrawal symptoms.

Although much research has been conducted into alcosynth, it is still several years before it hits bars due to several regulatory clearances required. — PTI