A scientist has cracked a chemical conundrum, allowing him to develop two drugs that could wean people off alcohol but still allow them to feel tipsy.
The first drug, "alcosynth", mimics alcohol. It is a non-toxic inebriant that removes the risks of hangovers, liver damage, aggression and loss of control.
A benzodiazepine derivative, the substance is in the Valium family, but without being addictive or causing withdrawal symptoms, he claims.
The man behind this marvel is neuro-psycho-pharmacology professor David Nutt, who became famous as the drugs tsar fired by the British government in 2009 for proclaiming that horse-riding is more dangerous than the recreational drug Ecstasy.
His second wonder drug is a so-called "chaperone", which would attenuate the effects of alcohol. Take a pill with booze and it is impossible to become drunk to the point of incapacitation.
The price would be set quite high, to stop the drug being abused, but this sober-up pill could be popped on the way home, reducing drunk-driving accidents and other alcohol-related incidents and crime.
Both drugs would be available in high-end cocktail bars at first, said Nutt. The alcohol substitute would be marketed as a companion to a regular tipple and be relatively cheap.
Alcohol is one of the most harmful drugs in terms of its contribution to obesity, violent crime, overall health, life expectancy and productivity. It is one of the top five causes of death in all EU nations.
"If alcohol were treated as a toxic compound in the same way as benzene or other lethal chemicals, the maximum amount you would be permitted to consume would be one wineglassful a year," says Nutt. "But it is exempt from toxic control measures because we like to drink."
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