Introducing the Vaportini: Inhaling alcohol cuts calories, but creates concerns

After losing 80 pounds, Broderic Allen was eager to keep the weight off. Along with conventionally accepted diet tips, Allen also embraced an uncommon method of getting a buzz: He pours his alcohol over dry ice and inhales the fumes.

“I figured I could have my cake and eat it too,” Allen said in an interview with WFAA-TV.

Allen isn’t the first to latch onto the idea of inhaling alcohol — and some business-savvy mixologists have already found ways to monetize the boozy fumes.

One such entrepreneur is Julie Palmer, who created the Vaportini in 2009 after visiting friends in Finland and watching them poured vodka over the coals in a sauna.

“You can absolutely taste the flavors,” Palmer said in an interview with Societe Perrier. “I think that is what really surprises people — how smooth and flavorful it is. And I love that it has no calories.”

Similar to Allen’s method, the Vaportini involves inhaling fumes. However, the Vaportini cuts out dry ice and utilizes a straw, which cuts back on the amount of booze consumed at once.

“About 5 minutes after the vessel containing the spirits is placed on the base (which has a flame at the bottom), it is ready to consume,” Palmer said on the website. “One inhales through the straw and holds their breath for a moment and then exhales.”

For Allen, inhaling alcohol is just an alternative way to unwind with friends while avoiding the possibility of a beer belly. Although he can see how it could become an issue for extreme users, he believe the downsides are worth it.

“People are going to take it and turn into something it’s not. If you lose the weight you want to keep it off,” he said.

However, some medical experts warn that even casual “inhalers” may be at risk for serious consequences.

“It goes right through your lungs, hits your bloodstream, and goes right to your brain,” said Dr. Walter Gaman. “It can have a toxic effect on your lungs, not to mention alcohol is not very good in your lungs.”

Because the alcohol vapors hit the bloodstream faster, Gaman said the liquor acts like a more potent drug.

“You’re going to get a heavier load of alcohol faster,” the Texas-based doctor said. “It will impair you faster.”

As of right now, the Vaportini is legal in 48 states and retails for $30.