Next designer drug?

[Samson]

I have thought for a while that we are overdue for another designer drug, but I did not expect it to be like this

It's a cocktail of drugs that mimics the pleasurable effects of alcohol without the downsides. The idea is only on the drawing board, but there is no scientific reason why it could not be made right now, says psychopharmacologist David Nutt of the University of Bristol in the UK.

Alcohol exerts its effects on the brain mainly by latching onto signalling molecules called GABA-A receptors. There are dozens of subtypes of these, some of which are associated with specific effects of alcohol. Memory loss, for example, seems to occur because alcohol binds to a subtype in the hippocampus called alpha-5. Nutt says it would be possible to design molecules that bind strongly to the good subtypes but more weakly to the bad ones.

In fact such "partial agonists" of GABA-A receptors already exist in the form of bretazenil and pagoclone, which were developed as anti-anxiety drugs but never commercialised. These molecules also have the advantage of being instantly reversible by the drug flumazenil, which is used as an antidote to overdoses of tranquillisers such as Valium. Alcohol also inhibits NMDA receptors, which are part of a general excitatory signalling circuit, so a second ingredient of the alcohol substitute would be an NMDA antagonist such as dizoclipine, originally developed as a drug for stroke.

The trick pharmacologists need to pull off is to make a mixture of molecules that deliver alcohol's pleasurable effects, notably relaxation and sociability, without the aggression, nausea, loss of coordination and amnesia that can cause drinkers and those around them so much grief. Long-term problems such as cirrhosis of the liver could also be eliminated, says Nutt, who publishes the idea next month in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, (vol 20, p 318).

There would be obstacles of course. The pharmaceutical industry may be unwilling to develop and test such a complex and expensive formulation, while there would be political and moral difficulties in creating a new lifestyle drug. And drinkers might need some persuading to give up fine wine or their favourite beer. Still, it's an idea worth toasting.

Sounds great to me. Instead of chooseing between ale or wine, I could choose a cocktail of 2 parts happy and 1 part uninhibit

The big issues I see are;

Taste;

I can see it is going to be hard to get cognac officonados changing, but considering how many people drink alcopops I am sure there would be a market.

Legal;

These drugs would at the moment be perscription only. I guess we would need a change in regulation to allow them to be sold to the general puplic. What govenment is going to support legalising a new drug?
What about drink driving? These would not show up on breathalisers, and since they can be blocked with another drug, any regulation would probably have to be in the form of "X amount in the blood without Y of the anatagonist".

Health;

They may be healthier that alcohol, but since they would be much easier to take consumption may well be much higher. There are sure to be health effects we are not aware of.
Who knows how it will turn out as an addictive drug. Remember heroin was originally designed as a non-addictive for of morphine.

Religious;

Would Muslims take these cocktails? I do not know the Qurans stance on drugs other than alcohol.
What about taking comunion with them

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

So after years of drinking Babyshams and Snowballs a cockney has finally managed to design a way of avoiding drinking altogether?

Hangovers maketh the man.

Religious;

Would Muslims take these cocktails? I do not know the Qurans stance on drugs other than alcohol.
What about taking comunion with them

IIRC Quran forbids anything which alters a person's mental state. Alcohol & drugs inclusive.

 

[Samson]

So after years of drinking Babyshams and Snowballs a cockney has finally managed to design a way of avoiding drinking altogether?

Cockneys? He is from Bristol, and they are near enough taffys!!!

Hangovers maketh the man.

The amount of my life I have wasted on the sofa suffering from these bloddy things I reakon I have qualified by now. If I could have a piss up without them I would take it at a shot.

IIRC Quran forbids anything which alters a person's mental state. Alcohol & drugs inclusive.

I see. Thanks.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

If it isn't more dangerous this is great!!!