Booze-Free Bar (Spectator – Subscription)
Comments(8) An oxygen bar provides users with the ability to inhale 92 to 95 percent oxygen through cannulas (plastic tubes), which are inserted in the nose. Because of pollution and other contaminates, the air we breathe contains about 21 percent oxygen, said Steve Blaustein, owner of AirHeads Oxygen Bars in Coral Springs, Fla.
[Dr. Joel Pace (one of my mentors from undergraduate) and I visited this place on Thursday night. The space being used for this oxygen bar is being shared with a new tattoo parlor, so construction was going on, but it did not disrupt our experience. The bar itself has written on its counter, “It’s OK to Inhale,” which we thought was hilarious for political reasons. Interestingly, after we finished our ten minute session, my head felt much clearer. BK]
category: Health
I see so many opportunities to pun off of this that I’m not sure where to begin (all of them are horribly lame anyhow–perhaps they could use some “fresh air”). If they are going to have a tattoo parlor there they could call it the “Ink and Faint Club” which would make Roger Rabbit fans happy. They should offer combo inhalants that include percentages of helium for example. Anyhow, it sounds like a place that sucks more than it blows–a place to sit back, relax, and take in some steam (half-cumulo head with a hint of evergreen waft for me please)
LOL…beaker not included.
I’ve never been to an oxygen bar, but I’m puzzled by “Because of pollution and other contaminates, the air we breathe contains about 21 percent oxygen, said Steve Blaustein.” I’m not sure I’d call naturally ocurring nitrogen and carbon dioxide either pollution or contaminates. So long as there isn’t a chance of a fire, I can imagine that breathing that much oxygen couldn’t be harmful and might even be healthy. But the way that sentence is written suggests that the 79% of the air that isn’t oxygen is pollution. Since it’s the oxygen in air that we need to breathe, we’d suffocate if we were in an all nitrogen or all carbon dioxide atmosphere, but it’s the lack of oxygen that would be the real problem.
Good puns, by the way, Joshua.
Dennis, As always, Joel says “Hey!” Meanwhile, when Joel and I talked to the owner of this oxygen bar, we heard a similar statistic but with reference toward countries like China and other places with a more prominent smog problem. I doubt that de-mystifies anything, but that is what I remember hearing.
All right let the biochemist come in and dispel the myths. You don’t need that much oxygen to function (obviously) and too much oxygen is definitely bad. The corrosiveness could do some strucural damage to cells (oxidation). Now hospitals will use increased oxygen levels for those who are having problems with oxygen uptake (i.e. decreased lung function) but too much can cause damage. Like all things, use in moderation.
Ted, Good dispelling of these myths surrounding oxygen. The owner never stated things as clearly as you have here, but he did say that sessions are available with a 10-minute minimum and a maximum of 30-minutes, for safety. Consecutive 30-minute sessions are not allowed because customers are encouraged to work off the effects before doing another long session.