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Canned Oxygen at Japan's 7-11 Stores

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.16.06
TH Exclusives (un-treehugger)

oxygen.jpgIt is bad enough that people think that they have to buy bottled water; in Japan you can now buy canned air. Actually, its 95% oxygen, designed in minty or grapefruity flavours as a pick-me-up. "The idea behind the product is to allow buyers to replenish their oxygen levels anytime they feel a lack of it due to stress, fatigue, or other factors". Each can is good for about 35 inhalations and costs 600 yen or about six bucks. We suppose it was inevitable, paying to breathe. ::Mainichi Daily News

UPDATE: Courtesy of JW's comment, we attach googlemangle of the 7-11's website

Comments (19)

And here all this time I thought there was a more complicated reason I didn't feel good. I should have known the industrialists had used up all my O2.

jump to top orphan says:

manufacturer's website

It's a medicinal in a package that looks to be most recyclable. Probably a lot healthier than drinking a few cans of cola or coffee.

jump to top JW says:

That's actually the press release from 7-11. The manufacturer is Hakugen. They cooperated on the product development.

http://www.hakugen.co.jp/

jump to top JW says:

Now we have to wonder how long before someone kills themselves or gives themselves permanant heart/lung/brain damage by OD'ing on O2. Pure oxygen is actually quite poisonous. Our bodies are designed to scavenge meager amounts of actual O2 from an atmosphere that is 78% Nitrogen (N2) and only 20% Oxygen (O2).

*rolls eyes*

I remember a few years back when Oxygen bars started to appear in the States with scented Oxygen. This may be a quick run to make some dollars - but old flash trends have caughten on before.

I doubt that sucking on 95% oxygen can be that great for you. I'd be interested in knowing what type of damage it does, in comparison to normal (that's relative, let's say average of major cities) levels of pollution.

jump to top Mitchell says:

Now we have to wonder how long before someone kills themselves or gives themselves permanant heart/lung/brain damage by OD'ing on O2.

Oxygen bars have been around for years pumping the same mixture to people for minutes at a time, not two second bursts.

Has anyone ever been killed anywhere in the world at an oxygen bar?

jump to top Anonymous says:

Excluding the odd freak accident, you would be able to claim that nobody has ever died at an oxygen bar. But by the same logic, nobody has ever been killed by smoking a cigarette either. Who wants to tell me that smoking cigarettes, like inhaling 95% O2, is safe and healthy?

Most divers are somewhat familiar with oxygen toxicity, and that's nowhere near the 95% level.

Are there any studies anywhere indicating that people have suffered long-term damage from going to oxygen bars?

jump to top Anonymous says:

All hail President Scroob!

[Remember canned air from Spaceballs, anyone ;) ]

jump to top OverMatt [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

Mmmm... Perri-air.

When I'm stressed or need a pick-me-up, I reach for a handy bottle of ethanol, diluted to 30% with water, and aged inside an oak barrel. (Ethanol: Drink the best, drive the rest.)

Helluva lot cheaper than bottled oxygen.

jump to top Icelander says:

Not to nitpick, but if you're speaking of whiskey, it is not ethanol, but alcohol. The distinction makes a difference in your health and whether you survive the encounter. ;)

jump to top Sam I Am says:

Actually sam-I-am, ethanol is the type of alcohol in any drinkable alcoholic beverage. You are thinking of methanol. You drink that, you kill yourself, not ethanol. Everclear is almost pure ethanol.

On subject, I would think something like this would be useful as part of an emergency kit in a bedroom or under your desk at work. Your chances of getting out of a burning building would skyrocket because you had a good air supply. Most people die of smoke inhalation in fires, not from the fire. Not the original intent of this product, but a good secondary use.

As for risks of breathing pure oxygen - what are you all smoking? Pure oxygen has and is used abord spacecraft, aircraft, and in some cases for deep diving. You are thinking of depressurisation sickness, which has nothing to do with breathing pure oxygen - it has to do with rising from depth too quickly or being in an aircraft that depressurises suddenly. Read up, its all out there on the net.

jump to top Doug Gaede says:

One of my friends who used to work at a pool told me that a hit of oxygen from the paramedics station was what she used to do for a hangover. So, I don't doubt it would be a pick me up.

jump to top me says:

I saw people selling bottles like these on mountain tours in China. If I remember correctly, it was at Jiu Zhai Gou. It seemed many people were buying these, because the air up in the higher elevations is "too thin." Hmm.. I wonder.

jump to top Roberto says:

i live in Japan but have never seen such thing at 7-11. it seems like most people in japan are obessed with stress and supposedly stress-related problems and diseases. sometimes, i think the media plays it up too much and we think being stressed makes you feel like you've done your job as a professional....

jump to top emma says:

i live in Japan but have never seen such thing at 7-11.

According to the press release, it goes on sale in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Chiba on Wednesday (5/24) and should be available nationwide by mid-June.

jump to top JW says:

OK... I live in Tokyo. And as absolutely asinine as I thought this to be, curiosity got the best of me.

So I walked down to my local 7-11 and bought a 600 Yen can of this O2supli (grapefruit scent).

A few minutes later I was asking myself, "was that 600 yen I just breathed away?"

Baka mita!!!

jump to top O2 Curious says:

O2 in a can could help us regain some of the health before Noah's flood.
Cool!

does any body know the cost of oxygen per gram?

jump to top kara says:

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