Unlike being drunk where the effect fades with time, the effect of nitrogen narcosis disappears immediately when the diver swims back up to shallower waters. But when divers are under the influence, they are often feeling so giddy that they don't think of returning to the surface. There are stories of divers doing crazy things underwater like removing their breathing apparatus, thinking that they can breathe like fish. Experts claim that comparing the effect to drinking Martinis is a slight oversimplification as it's more like being under a low dose of anaesthetic like ketamine.

Photo courtesy of NASA Divers risk getting the bends if they rise to the surface too quickly...

Can this effect be recreated on land? I did some research on the internet, but couldn't find mention of anyone having achieved, or even tried this before. Although nitrogen narcosis itself may not be harmful, the club will have to carefully regulate changes in pressure. Deep sea divers risk getting the bends if they come up to the surface too quickly because of sudden changes in pressure, and must make frequent "decompression stops" to allow the dissolved gases in their body to slowly dissipate. The bends can be fatal, or in lesser cases cause damage to the ear drum or haemorrhaging, so the club might require some sort of decompression chamber to ensure that clubbers are properly decompressed before they leave the venue.

But it seems like the owners have it all thought out since one of the clubs is supposedly under construction and scheduled to open its doors in a year and a half. I am still sceptical that a form of intoxication doesn't have its price - and feel like I might need some training from David Blaine before setting foot in a sealed bank vault? But who knows, it could just become a popular alternative to the pub.

For more info:

Club Narked
http://www.narked.org/

UKDivers.net - Nitrogen narcosis
http://www.ukdivers.net/physiology/narcosis.htm