A new type of synthetic alcohol has been discovered which could allow people to enjoy the sociable effects of a few pints, but skip the hangover that usually follows. 
 
 The new drink, known as 'alcosynth', is designed to mimic the positive effects of alcohol but doesn’t cause a dry mouth, nausea and a throbbing head, according to its creator Professor David Nutt. 
 
 The Imperial College Professor and former government drugs advisor told The Independent he has patented around 90 different alcosynth compounds. 
 
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 Two of them are now being rigorously tested for widespread use, he said – and by 2050, he hopes alcosynth could completely replace normal alcohol. 
 
 “It will be there alongside the scotch and the gin, they'll dispense the alcosynth into your cocktail and then you'll have the pleasure without damaging your liver and your heart,” he said. 
 
 “They go very nicely into mojitos. They even go into something as clear as a Tom Collins. One is pretty tasteless, the other has a bitter taste." 
 
 By researching substances that work on the brain in a similar way to alcohol, Professor Nutt and his team have been able to design a drug which they say is non-toxic and replicates the positive effects of alcohol. 
 
 “We know a lot about the brain science of alcohol; it's become very well understood in the last 30 years,” said Professor Nutt. 
 
 “So we know where the good effects of alcohol are mediated in the brain, and can mimic them. And by not touching the bad areas, we don't have the bad effects.” 
 
 Advocates of alcosynth believe it could revolutionise public health by relieving the burden of alcohol on the health service. 
 
 According to Alcohol Concern, drinking is the third biggest risk factor for disease and death in the UK, after smoking and obesity. 
 
 "People want healthier drinks," said Professor Nutt. “The drinks industry knows that by 2050 alcohol will be gone." 
 
 Shape Created with Sketch. The top 10 countries that drink the most alcohol Show all 10 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. The top 10 countries that drink the most alcohol 1/10 10. Poland 2/10 9. Germany 3/10 8. Luxembourg 4/10 7. France 5/10 6. Hungary 6/10 5. Russia 7/10 4. Czech Republic 8/10 3. Estonia 9/10 2. Austria 10/10 1. Lithuania 1/10 10. Poland 2/10 9. Germany 3/10 8. Luxembourg 4/10 7. France 5/10 6. Hungary 6/10 5. Russia 7/10 4. Czech Republic 8/10 3. Estonia 9/10 2. Austria 10/10 1. Lithuania 
 
 "They know that and have been planning for this for at least 10 years. But they don't want to rush into it, because they're making so much money from conventional alcohol.” 
 
 Early experiments into alcosynth, such as those reported on by BBC’s Horizon in 2011, used a derivative of benzodiazepine – the same class of drugs as Valium. 
 
 Mr Nutt said his new drinks did not contain benzodiazepine, and their formulas would remain a closely guarded, patented secret. 
 
 However, the huge cost of funding research into the drug and regulatory concerns mean it could be a long time before people can order an alcosynth cocktail at their local pub. 
 
 Professor Nutt, who was sacked from his position as the government drugs tsar in 2009 after he claimed taking ecstasy was less dangerous than riding a horse, said he was unsure if the use of synthetic alcohol would be restricted by the new Psychoactive Substances Act, which came into force in May. 
 
 “It’s an interesting idea, but too much in its infancy at the moment for us to comment on,” a Department of Health spokesperson told The Independent. 
 
 “I don’t think we’d give money to it until it was a little further along,” said the spokesperson. "If [Professor Nutt] were to apply for funding, it would go through the process of everything else and would be judged on its merits.” 
 
 “It would be great for producing better workforce efficiency if no one was hungover,” they added. 
 
 According to Professor Nutt, the effects of alcosynth last around a couple of hours – the same as traditional alcohol. 
 
 He said he and his team have also managed to limit the effects of drinking a lot of alcosynth, so in theory it would be impossible to ever feel too 'drunk'. 
 
 “We think the effects round out at about four or five 'drinks', then the effect would max out,” he said. 
 
 “We haven't tested it to destruction yet, but it's safer than drinking too much alcohol. With clever pharmacology, you can limit and put a ceiling on the effects, so you can't ever get as ill or kill yourself, unlike with drinking a lot of vodka.” 
 
 Researcher Guy Bentley worked with Professor Nutt on a new report by the liberal think tank the Adam Smith Institute into alcosynth regulation. 
 
 Mr Bentley told The Independent he hoped to persuade the government to accept the drug as a way of reducing the harm caused by alcohol. 
 
 “[The report] is trying to spark what happened with e-cigarettes and tobacco, but with alcohol," he said. "Professor Nutt has been experimenting on this for a long time, but I thought to myself - �?where is it?’ I wanted my hangover-free booze.” 
 
 However, not everyone was as keen on the new discovery. 
 
 Neil Williams, from the British Beer and Pub Association, said alcosynth was not necessary, as “there are other ways of avoiding a hangover”. 
 
 “There are plenty of low-strength drinks, particularly beers,” he told The Independent. “We should all drink in moderation so we shouldn’t need to have a hangover anyway.” 
 
 “I’d want to know more about it before I tried it myself,” he said. ||||| A new hangover-free synthetic alcohol which gets you tipsy but not drunk could have "seismic effects on public health", according to a report. 
 
 The drink has been developed as an alternative to alcohol, removing the risks of hangovers, liver damage and loss of control. 
 
 But the product is being blocked by "morality police" using heavy-handed EU and government regulations, says the Adam Smith Institute. 
 
 'Alcosynth' has been developed by Professor David Nutt, who was sacked as the UK drug tsar for his comments about the drug ecstasy. 
 
 The drink is a derivative of benzodiazepine - commonly used to treat anxiety disorder - but does not cause withdrawal symptoms. 
 
 Image: Prof Nutt has developed the new synthetic alcohol 
 
 It can be formulated to limit its potency, leaving drinkers only mildly intoxicated, rather than drunk. 
 
 Experts believe it could eventually completely replace alcohol and potentially save thousands of lives. 
 
 Although much research has been conducted, it could still be several years before it reaches bars in the UK. 
 
 Sam Bowman, executive director of the Adam Smith Institute, said over-regulation was preventing such products from entering the market. 
 
 Image: The new drink will spare you the dreaded hangover, says Prof Nutt 
 
 In a new report - Sinnovation: How markets can solve public health problems - the Institute calls for "innovation", not regulation. 
 
 "It's innovation not regulation that got us e-cigarettes," he said. 
 
 "They emerged and prospered in spite of regulation, proving to be the best way to get people to quit quickly that we know of. 
 
 "Other products like synthetic alcohol and reduced-risk tobacco products promise to repeat the success of e-cigs for new people, but only if we let them." 
 
 Public health officials are mindlessly pursuing abstinence campaigns, while ignoring life-saving risk reduction products, the institute says. 
 
 Mr Bowman continued: "It is crucial that the government does not stand in the way of hangover-free alcohol. 
 
 "Regulation must be flexible and encouraging of new products that are safer than the vices they're competing with. 
 
 "Britain can be a world leader in safe alternatives to alcohol and cigarettes, but we need regulation that foster those things instead of stamping them out." ||||| A British researcher says he has discovered a synthetic alcohol which allows drinkers to enjoy the sensation of being drunk without the negative side effects that usually follow. 
 
 David Nutt, a professor at Imperial College in London and former drugs advisor to the British government, says the non-toxic 'alcosynth' could completely replace normal alcohol by 2050, the U.K.'s Independent reports. 
 
 Alcosynth affects the brain in a similar way to alcohol, Nutt says, but doesn't cause mouth dryness, nausea, headaches or other long lasting health issues. "We know where the good effects of alcohol are mediated in the brain, and can mimic them. And by not touching the bad areas, we don't have the bad effects," Mr Nutt, who is currently testing two versions of the drink for widespread use, told the newspaper. 
 
 If alcosynth does what Nutt says it does, it could relieve public health services from the burden of alcohol-related issues. The cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. was as high as $223.5 billion in 2006, according to CDC figures , which researchers estimated worked out as $746 for every individual U.S. citizen that same year. 
 
 [ Independent ]
– A hangover-free future is once again being promised, this time courtesy of a controversial former drug czar. The Independent reports David Nutt—who was fired by the British government after claiming horse riding was more dangerous than ecstasy—developed about 90 compounds of something he's calling "alcosynth" and is testing out two for wide-scale alcohol replacement, which he says will happen by 2050. "They'll dispense the alcosynth into your cocktail and then you'll have the pleasure without damaging your liver and your heart,” Nutt says. He says the two alcosynth compounds being tested—one is bitter, the other mostly flavorless—work well in everything from a mojito to a Tom Collins. Alcosynth will get you buzzed—though Nutt says they've capped how drunk you can get on it—without the side effects of nausea, headache, or dry mouth. "We know where the good effects of alcohol are mediated in the brain, and can mimic them," he says. "And by not touching the bad areas, we don't have the bad effects.” A nontoxic alcohol that doesn't let drinkers get blotto could save a lot of money, Time reports. The CDC estimated that over-consumption of alcohol cost US taxpayers up to $223.5 billion in 2006. But it could be years before alcosynth is available for your next party, according to the Adam Smith Institute. The libertarian think tank tells Sky News over-regulation will slow the release of what is essentially a new drug. (This study finds there is one proven way to prevent a hangover.)