Posted: August 19, 2004 at 11:59 a.m.
NEW YORK (AP) -- A new machine that allows bar-hoppers to inhale liquor instead of drinking it is set to make its debut in New York City tomorrow night.
There's already an effort to get it banned.
The machine combines alcohol and oxygen to create an inhalable alcoholic mist.
It's called Alcohol Without Liquid -- or AWOL -- and it's already available in Europe and Asia. Its American distributor, Spirit Partners, is touting it as a low-carb, low-calorie and hangover-free alternative to drinking.
The company says AWOL sends alcohol into the bloodstream faster than drinking, resulting in a quick buzz. But it also says the level of alcohol in the body after AWOL use is lower than for traditional drinkers.
Andrew Spano, the county executive in Westchester County, New York, doesn't like it. He worries it will attract underage drinkers, and is seeking a local or statewide ban