Slick concept: Driving while hungover

If "Driving While Hungover" ever becomes illegal, you can thank the public relations folks at Spirit Sciences USA. The Los Angeles-based company makes RU-21, a dietary supplement purported to fight the effects of hangovers.

Citing Swedish research, the company put out a press release this week promoting the idea that hangovers may impair driving ability "by 20 percent or more."

From the press release: "To help law enforcement and safety advocates combat the problem of DWH, Spirit Sciences USA is in the final stages of developing a technology capable of detecting a hangover and measuring its severity. Upon conclusion of a large-scale test Spirit Sciences USA intends to donate over 200 such devices to police departments in the U.S. to study the extent of the hungover-driving problem in this country. The company hopes to have the final product in less than six months."

Need to create a market? Create a problem. It should be no surprise that dietary supplement makers are getting hip to this technique. Pharmaceutical companies have been doing it for years.