Pill that promises to alleviate drinker's hangovers hits market

By Tamara smith

A new supplement now available in stores claims to counteract the next-day effects of alcohol, including hangovers.

The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the pill, known as RU-21, because it is an herb being sold as a dietary supplement. However, the ingredients of RU-21 all are on the FDA’s “generally regarded as safe” list.

The supplement is mostly intended for use as a long-term health benefit, a pill that can be taken every day to help deter some effects of alcohol, including premature aging of the skin and liver damage.

But most sales of this product are from consumers looking for a quick solution to the after-effects of a night out on the town. Word is spreading fast online and on college campuses everywhere.

Joe Oesterman, a senior business student at Fresno State, was unaware there was such a pill. “I don’t think I would use it. I’m a firm believer that if you drink yourself stupid, you get what you deserve the next morning,” he said.

The product’s Web site states: “RU-21 will NOT reduce your level of intoxication nor the feeling of intoxication. It works to protect your body against the adverse effects of alcohol.”

The makers of RU-21 claim the pill slows down the production of acetaldehyde, a highly toxic byproduct of alcohol consumption, and speeds up the process of converting the acetaldehyde into a non-toxic acid.

Therefore, alcohol is metabolized more quickly in the body and most people who use the pill do not experience a hangover the next day.

Sam Gitchel, health educator at Fresno State, said he thinks RU-21 is a waste of money.

“ Its only benefit is to enrich the bank account of the people selling it,” Gitchel said.

The pills are sold at $7.99 for 20 pills from the company’s Web site, and consumers are instructed to take two pills prior to or during the consumption of every two alcoholic drinks.

“ The simple reason for hangovers is drinking too much alcohol, and the best way to prevent them is to follow safer partying tips, like avoiding drinking games, pacing drinks to one per hour, counting your drinks, or choosing to party without alcohol,” according to Gitchel.

The pill has been available online at www.RU-21.com since the beginning of this year and is being distributed to major grocery, pharmacy and health food stores now. With several other “hangover pills” on the market, RU-21 has been the most publicized of the products.

“ I think that if you have hangovers often enough that you need to worry about a pill, then you have more to worry about than the headaches,” Oesterman said.