After that last mammoth essay, I feel like I need a drink. And, thanks to the wonders of technology, there seems to be a new way to have a drink without taking a drink. (I said "seems to be" because I haven't tried it, and I'm not convinced that it isn't a lot of hoopla.)

The new technology is called AWOL (Alcohol WithOut Liquid), and it's sold in a delivery system the Philadelphia Inquirer calls "a gizmo that looks like a medical device but is used to inhale vaporized liquor." Needless to say, bureaucrats and activists are jumping all over each other in a bid to make these things illegal everywhere:

The contraption - marketed as a way to imbibe without calories, carbs, hangovers or telltale breath - has lawmakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey scrambling to prohibit it from bars and restaurants.

Several states, including Kansas, Michigan and Colorado, already have bans on the machines. At least a dozen more have measures pending.

Citing health concerns, Congress is considering a bill to require Food and Drug Administration approval of the machines. Groups as diverse as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the National Beer Wholesalers Association have condemned AWOL, which they fear could fool users into ingesting more alcohol than they realize.

"It promotes irresponsible drinking," said Heather Griffie, a spokeswoman for the beer-sellers' Pennsylvania chapter.

But if the crackpot MADD organization is against it, I might as well say something in its favor. (As Churchill famously said, "If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.")

So, without further ado, here's where to buy them.

And here's an inside peek:

No, I'm not springing for $199 right now. I'm hoping maybe a reader can tell me whether the whole thing is a waste of time and money.

MORE: Similar items called "atomizers" can apparently do the same thing, and can be purchased on ebay (and probably elsewhere).

AND MORE: Please note that it was not my intention to seriously compare myself to Churchill, MADD to Hitler, or AWOL to Hell. (I think it's obvious I was quoting in the satirical sense, but the last time I cited Churchill I was accused of putting his own words back in his mouth. Or something like that....)