This article was taken from the January 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.

What is non-alcoholic and non-toxic but gives you the buzz of a

beer? Synthetic alcohol, according to David Nutt of the Brain Sciences Division at Imperial College London.


Nutt, formerly the government's senior drugs adviser, has identified a substance that is alcohol-free but acts as a substitute. It has a chemical structure similar to benzodiazepine, a class of psychoactive drugs that treat anxiety and insomnia. The as-yet-unnamed drug can produce alcohol's desirable effects such as sociability and relaxation, but without negative effects such as nausea. "We can get rid of most of the toxicity. We'll have a compound maybe 100 times safer than alcohol," claims Nutt. This means less damage to the heart and liver, but it also lets you wake up fresh. "Because it targets a specific receptor in the brain, we can reverse the effects if people want to drive home," adds Nutt. The antagonist could come in the form of a pill, or a dissolvable film that is placed under the tongue.

Nutt is testing the compounds on human subjects. The substance may be on sale within two years and, he says, would cost the same as a cocktail.