For somebody who had one too many drinks on a Friday night, a new clinic to treat the ill effects of hangover opens in Australia. Dubbed as the 'hangover clinic', it offers remedies like intravenous (IV) drips, painkillers and vitamins to treat symptoms of headache, nausea and vomiting.
The new clinic offers three packages namely Jump Start, Energise and Resurrection. Jumpstart is priced at $140, Energise at $165 and Resurrection at $200. The basic package includes infusion of one liter of 'Hartmann's Solution', Vitamins B and C, and choice of headache medications or drugs for nausea.
Health experts, on the other hand, slammed the establishment of a hangover clinic as it can promote binge alcohol drinking.
"This encourages people to use alcohol in an entirely inappropriate way and it's something the government should look at very, very carefully," Michael Moore, chief executive of the Public Health Association of Australia, said.
However, the clinic's owner reiterated that they only offer reactive service. "There has been some criticism suggesting we're encouraging binge drinking," Max Petro, Hangover Clinic's co-founder said.
"We don't serve alcohol. We are not a pub," he said. He added that they encourage binge drinking just like how hospitals encourage people to get sick.
Dating back five years ago, Mr. Petro worked as a ski trainer. During that time, he learned about the intravenous hangover remedy. He found that ski patrollers, who would stay up at night and wake up early in the morning, were always on the go. He learned that they were all connected to IV drips and oxygen.
In its official website, the hangover clinic sheds light in the importance and benefits of IV hydration. For years, it is widely used as an immediate treatment for hangover and dehydration. Aside from hangovers, its IV remedy can be used for other ailments like flu, jet lags, fatigue and general exhaustion.
"Our unique I.V. (intravenous) hydration packages give you a speedy recovery from hangovers by rapidly restoring your fluid levels with the direct introduction of saline into your system," hangover clinic posted in its website.
"These packages are tailored with the infusion of vitamins and anti-nausea medications to eliminate your symptoms and accelerate your recovery," it added.
