A new hangover prevention pill went on sale in the UK yesterday with the people behind the pill saying it will leave drinkers feeling fresh after a night out.
The Myrkl supplement works by rapidly breaking down alcohol in the gut before it manages to reach the liver – the pill continues to break booze down for up to 12 hours. The company is selling packs of 30 on their website for £30.
However, Martin Preston, Founder and Chief Executive at private rehab clinic Delamere has warned of the pill’s dangers as it could potentially cause a rise in binge drinking and more:
“This pill is a scientific breakthrough,” says Martin, “however it could also result in people abusing this pill as an excuse to binge-drink without suffering the consequences the morning after.
“The main reason we get hangovers is the ethanol found in alcohol, which is broken down in the liver and causes dehydration, and can lead to the dizziness, headaches and thirst we associate with the morning after a heavy night out. Nobody likes this feeling, but it’s your body reaction to consuming more alcohol than it can handle.
“The fact this pill is now extremely accessible means we could easily see a rise in binge drinking with people using this pill as an excuse to consume more, which could be extremely damaging for people’s health and wellbeing. For example, using this pill as an excuse to drink more could lead to problems such as insomnia which can lead to exhaustion and fatigue which will lower your quality of life day to day. In more serious cases, it could lead to liver disease or even brain damage as it can damage your brain’s frontal lobe, this area of the brain is responsible for emotional control, short-term memory, and judgement, in addition to other vital roles.
“The fact is, this pill isn’t designed for binge drinking. If you take it and binge drink, you will get drunk much slower and spend a lot more money. The pill is designed for moderate drinkers who might go for a few drinks and not want to feel it at work the next day for example. However, this could lead to an increase in alcohol consumption throughout the week and lead to moderate drinkers consuming a lot more often.
“Finally, one of the worst things that this pill could result in is causing alcoholism. People might use this pill to disguise symptoms of alcoholism and avoid getting help before their addiction becomes fatal. Alongside this, alcoholism could become more widespread as the body will start to adapt to drinking in larger volumes due to regular use of the pill. Drinkers without a hangover the next day might also be encouraged to drink yet again that day which could eventually lead to alcoholism.”
