First there were alcohol enemas (ew). Then there was snorting booze (ow). Now, in the never-ending search for new ways to consume alcohol, you can add “cloud bars” to the list.
These new bars—which have popped up in London and Australia—pump alcohol-infused mist into the air. Patrons in the Australian bar can spend up to 40 minutes breathing in the mist and absorbing the alcohol through their lungs and eyeballs. Patrons wear protective suits over their clothes, leaving only their faces exposed.
The owners claim that 40 minutes of exposure is equivalent to approximately one large drink (how large isn’t specified). And they state that the purpose of the alcoholic cloud is to allow patrons to more fully taste the elements in the alcohol as they breathe it in.
Even if you set aside the fact that exposing your respiratory system and your eyeballs to alcohol-laced mist sounds rather painful (and that walking through a cloud of gin will leave you smelling like a cheap college party), inhaling alcohol can greatly increase the risk of alcohol poisoning.
Because the alcohol isn’t processed by the liver before entering the bloodstream, a person’s BAC spikes much more quickly. In addition, the body’s natural protective reaction to over-consumption (i.e. puking) is thwarted, adding to the risk of serious health consequences. As for claims that inhaling rather than drinking alcohol results in fewer consumed calories and lessens the chance of a hangover, there’s no proof to support either of those assumptions.
This seems crazy…and not so safe! But something I think teenagers will think would be fun to try. Will be interesting to see if it comes state side.