|
Alcohol inhaling machine sparks debate |
|
|
|
Thursday, 29 March 2007 |
by LAUREN LAWSON
News Reporter
Consuming alcohol without having to worry about negative effects, such as hangovers or a night of toilet hugging, might sound like a dream come true for many college students, but a closer look might show this dream’s shortcomings.
A machine named AWOL or “Alcohol With Out Liquid,” manufactured in Great Britain and now being marketed by a Greensboro company has drawn both positive and negative attention.
“While I do not anticipate this machine encouraging more people to
drink, there are significant health risks,” the Rev. Mark Creech,
league director for the North Carolina branch of the Christian Action
League, said.
The machine takes the alcohol and oxygenates it, creating a mist that is then breathed in directly into the lungs, Creech said.
Greensboro’s Spirit Partners is the only U.S. company to distribute and market these devices.
State legislation has been put into work in order to get the
manufacturing, possession and sale of these machines banned in North
Carolina.
The legislation has been spearheaded by Creech and State Sen. Steve Goss of Watauga County.
“Because the alcohol goes straight to the blood stream and brain, the
medical community has grave concerns for the risks [these machines]
pose,” Goss said. “It creates an intense high, and users can become
inebriated very quickly.”
Goss is concerned with the machine’s health risks as well.
“We are not trying to criminalize it … we just want to take this
dangerous device away from the public domain,” Goss said. “We are not
trying to make a moral statement.”
After passing through the initial Judiciary committee, the legislation
still has to make its way to the floor and to the house for approval.
If the legislation is approved and the machines are banned, the offense would be considered a misdemeanor.
“While these machines currently pose no crisis, there is no question
this legislation is needed as a preventative measure,” Creech said.
So far, the machines have been banned in 21 states, Goss said.
According to an interview given to the News and Record by Greensboro
lawyer and Spirit Partners partner Kevin Morse, he claims it is
impossible to inhale enough alcohol from the machine to get drunk.
At AWOL’s launch, Morse said, “AWOL is simply a fun, new, exciting way for adults to enjoy alcohol in a responsible manner.”
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/Hide comments