



The Vaportini is being marketed as a revolutionary new way of consuming alcohol. It consists of a glass globe, a metal ring, a plastic funnel, a straw and a candle. The combination is used to heat the liquor for five minutes. A clear vapor appears, which are then deeply inhaled.

What's the difference between inhaling it and drinking it? asked a bar patron. The difference is that the company claims it curbs the calories and the carbs because the alcohol is not absorbed by your organs or metabolized.

This method of alcohol delivery is targeting more selectively the brain, and not other bodily organs, said Dr. John D. Roache, professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at UT Health Science Center San Antonio.


Instead of waiting 20 minutes for a buzz, (there's) a large degree of intoxication and impairment very quickly, Roache said. This method is targeting more the brain.


It's probably not safe at all for several different reasons, he said.

In fact, Roache believes inhaling liquor can be deadly.

It's a poison, and it can kill living tissue, he explained. You're putting a large amount of alcohol into your brain, and that can damage the brain.


When you're smoking it, you're making it more powerful and addictive, he said.


They could be more intoxicated at a lower blood-alcohol level in this manner, Roache said.


Vaportini charges $30 for a device. KENS 5 tried to order one from the website, but for the past three weeks it's been out of stock.

In 2005, a similar device was banned called Alcohol Without Liquid. Twenty states banned AWOL, citing possible health and safety risks. KENS 5 tried contacting Julie Palmer, the published creator of Vaportini, but we did not receive a response.

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