Smoking alcohol warned to be more dangerous than drinking

Source: the drinks business

by Steven Green

13th July, 2016

Residents in the United States are being warned that the re-emerging trend of smoking alcohol is more harmful than just drinking.

A number of videos have recently appeared online apparently giving youngsters tips on how to vaporise alcohol to inhale it, and more dangerously, there is no need for any kind of device to implement this.

However, there are alcohol bongs, dry ice cocktails and people even free-base alcohol over an open flame, according to 10News WTSP.

The goal is to inhale the alcohol through the lungs to feel its effects, but doctors are warning that this method could prove to be much more dangerous than simply ingesting it normally.

“Absolutely as bad as drinking, maybe worse,” said Dr. Alfred Aleguas with the Florida Poison Information Center at Tampa General Hospital.

“You have really no clue as to how much you’re ingesting,” said Aleguas.

Aleguas explains that the vapour goes straight into your lungs, thus bypassing the stomach, liver and other organs that metabolise and slow the absorption of alcohol into the blood. And worryingly, there are no typical signs of over indulgence like vomiting and the vapour can damage the lungs, leading to infection.