Las Vegas 'hangover bus' cruises the Strip
— -- Hangovers happen in Vegas.
But they don't have to stay long, says anesthesiologist Jason Burke.
Over the weekend, he launched a service for imbibers: a bus that cruises the Strip Saturdays and Sundays to cure the hung-over. Among the planned stops: Paris Las Vegas, the Bellagio and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
'Hangover Heaven' offers IV therapy to rehydrate partiers. Anti-nausea medicine and vitamin treatments also are offered.
Patients can purchase "Redemption" — $130 ($90 introductory offer) — which uses IV fluids alone. Or they can add the nausea and vitamin therapy (Salvation, $150 intro offer). "It works," Burke says. Treatment takes a half-hour to 45 minutes.
He says he is surprised at the controversy his treatment has generated.
Fellow physician Robert Glatter, who practices emergency-room medicine in New York City, wrote on Forbes.com: "While there is no doubt that Hangover Heaven is a band-aid for your symptoms, it's sometimes better to actually feel the pain, as it's a good reminder of the evils of consuming too much alcohol."
Burke addresses such views on his hangoverheaven.com website.
He writes that he does not think think Hangover Heaven "encourages binge drinking. Most hangovers are a case of people losing track of how much they had to drink."
"I am a businessman, but I am first a physician," he writes. "This treatment is extremely safe … I do initially treat the symptoms of the hangover, but my treatment also relies on encouraging the enzymatic reaction that breaks down the by-products of alcohol, namely acetylaldehyde. Acetylaldehyde is very difficult compound to resolve and it can take some time. The medications help to buy some time until the body can rid itself of the excess acetylaldehyde, which is what makes people feel like they want to curl up and die."
"I have two EMTs (emergency medical technicians) and myself" on the job, says Burke, 42, who says he trained at Duke University and has 14 years of experience. "I'm going to be the only person administering medication," he adds.
He won't use a Breathalizer, but says he'll do a "subjective evaluation" to make sure patients aren't still intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. IVs are administered via pediatric needles, which the squeamish find easier to tolerate.
Prospective clients can learn more on the Hangover Heaven site or call 702-900-0660. Treatments in hotel rooms also will be offered,and Burke is planning to launch a phone app for his service.
As for the legality of Hangover Heaven, he says he has been dealing with various regulatory entities and that it was difficult to open up shop.
"If only people knew the headaches I had to go through to do this," says Sin City's hangover specialist.
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