At last.. a pill to cure HANGOVERS; BOOZE BLUES BUSTER HITS SHOPS IN 2004.(News)

Byline: DAMIEN LANE

A RADICAL hangover cure - originally produced in the 1940s stop KGB agents suffering the side effects of too much booze - is to go on sale in Irish shops.
But the arrival of RU-21 won't help those who overdo it this New Year.
The 20-pill pack, which costs EUR8, won't be in shops until some time in 2004.
RU-21, which refers to the American age-limit for drinking alcohol, has been in big demand in the States since its launch in May.
And Californian-based manufacturers Spirit Scientists now plan to sell the drug in Europe.
The remedy was invented by Soviet scientists after World War II to help agents out-drink their targets but remain fresh the next day.
Manufacturers said RU-21 works by helping cells in the body take up oxygen and recover more quickly from the slow-down effects of too much alcohol.
For best results one pill must be taken with every drink.
The combination of vitamin C, glutamine, fumaric and succinic acids leaves drinkers clear- headed the next day and stops the body producing an enzyme that turns alcohol into toxins.
RU-21 can be sold over the counter as a food supplement, rather than a drug, because its ingredients are deemed to be natural.
It is also exempt from the rigorous testing laws faced by new drugs throughout the world. Spirit Sciences spokesman Emil Chiaberi is confident RU-21 will be a hit with drinkers.
He said: "Hundreds of thousands have tried it and found it does work."
But he stressed booze should still be taken in moderation, adding: "It's not meant for people who abuse alcohol.
"But it will help those who have a hangover after two or three drinks and allows them to avoid it altogether.
"It is not a miracle pill and people should still drink responsibly." RU-21 has attracted its share of criticism and Dr Mark Mycyk, a Professor of Medicine at Northwest University in Chicago, recently described it as a "bogus pill".
However, this has not stopped it doing a roaring trade on the internet - especially at Christmas.