What if you could drink alcohol without gaining any of its calories, carbs or impurities? What if enjoying a martini didn’t involve actually drinking alcohol? These ponderings are now a reality with the creation of the Vaportini, a new device that has set off a dangerous trend in America.
Launched by creator Julie Palmer, the Vaportini works by distilling alcohol in a glass into vapors that are later inhaled through a straw. The resulting high is instant and, at a cheap cost of 35 dollars, the popularity of the apparatus has grown significantly among American teenagers. The new fashion of inhaling alcohol however has created great alarm around the world and new research shows that it does not come risk-free.
Despite the promise of a pure consumption, inhaling alcohol can be extremely harmful. Normally a drink in liquid form is absorbed 10% through the stomach and 85% through the small intestine and its absorption is slowed down by food. However, if a drink is inhaled, it bypasses the digestive system and travels directly into the bloodstream through the lungs, leading to high levels of intoxication. The possibility of alcohol poisoning also increases since fumes, unlike liquids, cannot be regurgitated.
How do you measure your consumption in terms of vapor? Although the high of smoking alcohol is addictive, the effects wear off quicker and are harder to control. Fumes are also acid and can definitely damage the tissues in your mouth and throat.
Is the Vaportini cool? Yes. Is it legal? Yes (for Collegiettes over 21, that is). But is it safe? Definitely not. So Collegiettes, feel free to check it out, but as for me, I’d rather keep it safe and stick to the basics.