Distilled Spirits Council Urges Ban of Alcohol Vapor Devices ("alcohol without liquid" - AWOL)

Yahoo News ^ | 3/21/05

[Libloather]

Distilled Spirits Council Urges Ban of Alcohol Vapor Devices; Senate Committee on Regulated Industries Hears Bill Today
Mon Mar 21,12:48 PM ET

To: State Desk
Contact: Sarah Rosen of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, 202-682-8840; Web: http://www.distilledspirits.org

WASHINGTON, March 21, /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Distilled Spirits Council today urged swift passage of legislation introduced in Florida banning "alcohol without liquid" (AWOL) devices that allow consumers to inhale alcohol by mixing alcohol with pure oxygen.

The bill, SB 794, sponsored by Senator Mike Haridopolos, would prohibit the sale or use of these devices and make its sale a misdemeanor. SB 794 is scheduled to be heard today before the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries today at 2:45 pm.

"We commend Senator Haridopolos for trying to keep these irresponsible devices out of Florida and we urge other states to do the same," said Dr. Peter Cressy, President of the Distilled Spirits Council. "The distilled spirits industry deplores any attempt to encourage reckless consumption of alcohol."

Cressy pointed to AWOL's company web site which calls the device "the ultimate party toy." The site states that this method of inhaling alcohol "reduces the effects of hangovers."

"Consumed responsibly and in moderation, beverage alcohol can be a normal, healthy adult lifestyle choice," said Cressy. "There is absolutely nothing responsible about these devices and they should be banned immediately."

The Distilled Spirits Council will provide written testimony to the Committee. A copy of the testimony follows.

---

-- Testimony of David Wojnar, Vice President, Distilled Spirits Council Submitted to the Florida Senate Committee on Regulated Industries

March 21, 2005

I am writing to you on behalf of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States, in support of SB 794, legislation to ban the Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) Machine.

The members of the Distilled Spirits Council are committed to fighting the irresponsible consumption of beverage alcohol. Through our sister organization, The Century Council, our members have invested over $130 million in programs and initiatives to encourage responsible decision-making and to fight abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving. We have partnered with communities across Florida to achieve these common goals.

Through its website, the marketers of AWOL promote this device as the "ultimate party toy" and a way to reduce the effects of a hangover. This attempt to glorify reckless consumption is wrong and sends the wrong message. This type of practice and message is unacceptable. There is absolutely nothing responsible about the AWOL device and we urge swift passage of SB 794.

[writer33]

Come to think of it, I shudder when I try to imagine that nightmare!!

I remember having this feeling of euphoria knowing that there were no more lawyers. I went about the day skipping with joy and exhuberance. Suddenly, I woke up and realized it was only a dream.

:) HA!

[76834]

How could anyone survive that much alcohol?

Most cases you wont, that's why when you have over imbibed they call you "intoxicated"
Alcohol is a toxin (poison)
The body can process it if consumed moderately over a period of time but if you take it faster than the body can handle you will either pass out, or be on a one way trip to the grave yard.

[KingofQue]

Several weeks ago a man died from receiving a wine enema, I don't know how much but I believe several bottles.

[BansheeBill]

I believe that Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family did pioneering work on this method of alcohol ingestion. When the story of Michael Kennedy and his "affair" with the underage babysitter was big, it was revealed that on a Kennedy family camping trip (it may have been a whitewater rafting and camping trip) the babysitter came along to take care of the kiddos, and the "adults" had set up a "Vodka Steam Tent" at one of their encampments.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I bow to your books; I've never tried it to see if they will react.

But you say "methyl" sulphate? What happened to the ethyl moiety? Where did that carbon go?

[TBall]

That reminds me of the time in my younger years when I visited Ole Miss. Drank a ton of beer felt fine and the girls were beautiful. The next morning the girls were still beautiful and no hangover. Found out they served 3/2 beer and girls were just made that way.

[Myrddin]

But you say "methyl" sulphate? What happened to the ethyl moiety? Where did that carbon go?

Oops. Dropped a carbon atom on the floor. It's ethyl sulphate. It turns out that the human body will actually sulphonate ethanol as a means of more rapid excretion via the kidneys. Excretion of ethyl sulphate occurs for hours after the blood levels of ethanol have dropped below detectable limits. It is a sensitive means of detecting whether someone has consumed any ethanol.

I lay blame for loss of the carbon atom on the circulating consequences of a fine bottle of Killian's Red.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Better be glad the carbon didn't go AWOL in the Killian's or you'd be blind.

[HiTech RedNeck]

(pun on AWOL)

[politicalwit]

If the alcohol goes into the body by any means it gets metabolized."

It would take extremely large quantities of alcohol via inhalation to have any effect. Years ago we would use ETOH in an aerosolized form in patients with congestive heart failure to help reduce surface tension of fluids in the lungs. I can never remember a patient getting intoxicated inhaling aerosolize ETOH. Keep in mind, 80% of the aerosol is eliminated on exhalation.

[sully777]

Can't be accurate. Pure O2???

Actually welding oxygen is held to a higher standard than medical oxygen and is very very close to being pure 02

What is marketed as pure ethanol, "Everclear", is really only 95% pure, alcohol has an affinity for water.
The 100% stuff is called "absolute alcohol"

---

IIRC, my HS biology teacher told us pure alcohol was pure poison.

Isn't ether the gaseous form of alcohol?

[midnightson]

Perhaps getting 'blasted' is the point!

[LibertarianInExile]

You too? I nearly got myself killed a few times. In fact, I often took money right from my own wallet.

I'm pretty sure that they need to pass more laws to protect us from ourselves so that we don't hurt anyone and nothing bad ever happens. Because after all, laws prevent bad things from happening. It says the federal government can prevent bad things from happening in the Constitution. I think it was Jefferson who said, "If it's not a law, it should be."

[LibertarianInExile]

I did hear of one alcoholic little old lady who got her high from wine enemas. One thing for sure you couldn't smell alcohol on her breath.

But I bet nobody wanted to sit behind her in church.

[Know your rights]

I'm pretty sure that they need to pass more laws to protect us from ourselves so that we don't hurt anyone and nothing bad ever happens. Because after all, laws prevent bad things from happening. It says the federal government can prevent bad things from happening in the Constitution. I think it was Jefferson who said, "If it's not a law, it should be."

LOL!

[jimboster]

Can you, like, put it in a scuba tank?

[Lawgvr1955]

I think it was Jefferson who said, "If it's not a law, it should be."

Glad I wasn't drinking something when I read that. You would owe me a monitor washing!

[LibertarianInExile]

!#@$!@%$#@%!

Here I had hopes of finally joining that elite Freeper group of nostril spew-inducers, and you go and tell me that you weren't drinking and pee on my dreams of joining the club that Lazmataz built?!?!? Come on, man, go get a beer and reread!

[redgolum]

The water/alcohol mixture has a depressed boiling point that results in the 95% limit. To get to 100% you add benzene to the alcohol. That takes the last 5% of the water away, but makes the end product toxic for human consumption.

A molecular sieve is what most places use now. Cyclohexane is to nasty to use. Very flammable. I used to work at a plant that made ethanol, and we had a few contractors that would sneak the stuff straight out of the sieves. Gave them one heck of a hangover.

[freepatriot32]

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