New mouth spray 'gets you drunk in seconds and sober just as fast'

The makers of mouth spray claim, however, that the "harm" is limited, because you sober up equally rapidly.

The alcohol is delivered via an aerosol spray, so people feel briefly drunk, then sober up.

But however quickly people might recover, drunkenness can lead to accidents - and it's also unclear how the device could be misused by alcoholics.

The feeling lasts just seconds - but when it fades, you are sober and able to carry on with your day.

The spray delivers just a miniscule dose of alcohol - 0.075ml - directly in to your mouth, but thanks to the aerosol effect, the effect is instantaneous.

With a typical drink containing 40 to 60ml of alcohol, the scientists say it would take a thousand sprays to get the equivalent amount of alcohol into your system.

French designer Philippe Starck and Franco-American scientist David Edwards say the advantage is to enjoy the drunk sensation with none of the harmful effects of alcohol on the body.

The spray was recently unveiled in Paris.

"The question is how to do good without doing harm. Wahh is an alternative that offers the idea of intoxication without its adverse effects," a major newspaper quoted Starck as saying.

The product is about to go on sale in Europe for 20 Euros, with each capsule offering 21 "shots". UK distribution plans have not been unveiled yet.