Hangover pill goes on
sale RU-21, named after the legal drinking age in the United States, is now
available from the pharmacy chain Superdrug, despite the concerns of alcohol
abuse charities.
Manufacturers of the pill claim that it will prevent drinkers feeling ill on
the morning after consuming alcohol, if taken with each drink.
But the charity Alcohol Concern has cautioned against use of the product. A
spokeswoman said: "If people just take a pill that tackles the symptoms rather
than the harm that alcohol does to their bodies, is that really effective?"
She added: "A hangover is the body's way of saying 'enough is enough, you've
been drinking too much'."
Commenting on the pill in The Sun newspaper, a spokesman for the Metropolitan
police also condemned the pill and warned it could further encourage binge
drinking.
But the managing director of RU-21 Ltd, Derry Kenneally, said: "RU-21 is one
of the most exciting new dietary supplements to be launched in the UK for years
- there's simply nothing like it available. It's a safe and effective supplement
for people who drink alcohol in moderation."
RU-21 is designed to be taken before and during a period of alcohol
consumption at a rate of one for each drink. The company claims the pills work
by helping the body to eliminate acetaldehyde and acetic acid, the toxic
by-products created through drinking.
"RU-21 neutralises the effects of acetaldehyde by regulating the metabolic
process of alcohol in the body. RU-21 works by slowing down the process of
ethanol oxidation into acetaldehyde, so less acetaldehyde occurs in the first
place, and by speeding up the process of acetaldehyde and acetic acid
decomposition into carbon dioxide and water," an explainer on the company's
website reads.
RU-21 claims to use only natural ingredients in the tablets, including
ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), succinic acid and fumaric acid and L-Glutamine, an
amino acid found naturally in the body.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of RU-21 is its origins. According to
the company's website, RU-21 is said to have been developed in secret after the
second world war by the Russians as part of a 25-year study into how the body
absorbs alcohol.
"When the KGB heard about RU-21, it seized the formula for itself as a tool
for its agents. The idea was for them to be able to drink their targets under
the table while remaining clear-headed. Although the original intention of the
pill was to help Soviet agents avoid becoming drunk, its effect is felt in
preventing hangovers," the website claims.
Matt
Weaver
Wednesday June 9, 2004
An American pill, which is claimed
to prevent hangovers, has gone on sale today on the British high street.
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