Inhaling a vapour that is a mixture of oxygen and alcohol is the latest fad in London
Health experts are expressing concern at the potential health implications for people choosing to inhale alcohol.
In a trendy north London bar, they're trying out a new way of consuming alcohol.
AWOL, Alcohol Without Liquid, involves inhaling a vapour of the spirit of your choice along with oxygen which goes straight to the bloodstream giving an instant hit.
The inventor of AWOL, Dominic Simler, explains how the device works. People marketing the device present it as fun but some doctors believe it could be dangerous. Professor Ian Gilmore, Registrar at the Royal College of Physicians, warns that the effects of using AWOL are still unknown.
If people want to do this, they have to know that they are taking a step into the unknown.
Dominic Simler points out that the two components, alcohol and oxygen, are known to be safe and legal as long as they are not abused or misused.
The reaction from a group of young people testing the product was positive in general. Some said it was fun, tasty and social. Others said that they would have to try it a few more times to see the effects.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 21 March 2004. The reporter is Brian O'Connell.
