Health Canada Is Warning Canadians That This Viral Non Alcoholic Drink That Gets You Drunk Is Dangerous

Posted : 12/10/2018

By Casey Aonso
December 9, 2018

These days everyone is looking to have a good time without having to deal with the consequences the next morning. In the past year,several alcoholic creations that don't cause hangovers have been spoken about such as marijuana beer, but none of them have reached the market yet. Though there is one that is currently being sold and Canadians are going crazy for it, but Health Canada isn't on board. 

The drink in question is called Pace, and while it comes in a small 50 ml container similar to the single-serving bottles of
liquor you would find at a liquor store checkout, it's causing quite a large amount of controversy. 

The DACOA-proclaimed (Diet Alcohol Corporation of the Americas) "healthy alcohol alternative" claims to give consumers the same buzz they would get from alcohol, but the drink contains no alcohol, calories and doesn't even give you a hangover. 

How the drink manages to do all of that is through an ingredient found in the drink called MEAI, which is a "new synthetic" that once consumed results in "a mild inebriation along with a feeling of contentedness that curbs overconsumption and excessive drinking." 

MEAI has Canadian roots as Ezekial Golan, the man behind the invention of the synthetic back in 2008 is from Vancouver.
Some call Golan the "Godfather of Legal Highs" as a result of his controversial 15 years working with psychoactive drugs. 
As of now, the drink is readily available to ship to Canada and curious Canadians have been ordering "tens of thousands" of bottles according to Golan, who acts as Pace's lead scientist.  

The only issue though is that Health Canada claims that while the drink is being sold in Canada, it's actually illegal. The  department spoke with CBC News claiming that the controlled substance is an "illegal and unauthorized product in Canada."

As a result it's sale is strictly illegal, even though the Pace website says otherwise. 

This is because there are risks when it comes to consuming the drink that even Golan acknowledges. He spoke with CBC News and admitted that the Pace team doesn't know for sure if consuming the drink can result in long-term damage. 

It's especially concerning considering that Golan has been involved in creating drugs such as Mephedrone, which was a club
drug known casually as "Meow Meow." The drug resulted in 38 deaths and sparked a ban in the U.K. Meaning it's definitely reasonable to be wary of trying the scientist's new creation. It's also worth noting that MEIA is "neither regulated nor scheduled in the USA or Canada" as listed on Pace's website. 

While the drink could be a great alternative for Canadians looking to escape a hangover, or even be used to help alcoholics curb their overconsumption, MEIA hasn't been tested enough in order to ensure it truly is safe to consume. Meaning that while you can technically buy Pace from the website and try it for yourself, you're doing so at your own risk. 

Printer friendly version print


Contact Us

c/o Prince Edward Island Liquor Control Commission
3 Garfield Street
Charlottetown, PE C1A 6A4

Email Us

Tel: 902-368-5721 
Fax: : 902-368-5735

Don't drink and DriveDon't Drink and Drive