# Does this thing really prevent a hangover?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-thing-really-prevent-a-hangover/255194>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 15, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-thing-really-prevent-a-hangover/255194 "2004-07-15T02:00:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-thing-really-prevent-a-hangover/255194/1 "2004-07-15T02:00:26Z")

</div>

So, there’s this guy who invented what can only be described as a [drunk machine.](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/14/1089694394888.html?oneclick=true) (be sure to click on “register later and view article now” at bottom of page to see article.)

It says it turns a shot of alcohol into a vapor that is inhaled into the lungs. In this way, it gets into the bloodstream much faster, preventing both consumption of calories with alcohol and a hangover. My question is, since the alcohol is still getting into your bloodsteam, won’t you still get a hangover? I imagine it might be less, since part of a hangover is dehydration, and here you’re not drinking alcohol so maybe you’ll drink some real fluids, but you’re still replacing part of your blood with alcohol so I have to imagine a hangover will still occur.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-thing-really-prevent-a-hangover/255194/2 "2004-07-15T02:06:16Z")

</div>

Well, that link tried to hijack several of my computer processes, so I didn’t examine it firsthand.

But by what you posted, it sounds like nonsense to me. Alcohol absorbed thru the lungs rather than thru the gut still becomes alcohol in the blood, which is how it causes its effects. It will still act as a diuretic, causing you to urinate more, still cause its central nervous system effects, still get detoxed by the liver, and still result in typical hangovers, tho they might be less since many hangover symptoms are aggravated by the drink additives such as sugars, congeners, etc. which _might_ be absent from the inhaled alcohol.

Note that inhaling alcohol carries some significant risks, too. The lung epithelium was NOT designed to absorb liquids, and ethanol acts as a very nice cell fixative. Therefore each time you do this, you’ll damage lung epithelium, and may even risk Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or “shock lung”.

Shooting from the hip,  
QtM, MD

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-thing-really-prevent-a-hangover/255194/3 "2004-07-15T02:31:49Z")

</div>

[Here’s a better link.](http://www.awolmachine.com)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-thing-really-prevent-a-hangover/255194/4 "2004-07-15T03:49:53Z")

</div>

Is this like filling an ultra sonic humidifier with vodka and hitting the vapor?