A new 'game-changing' pill which could help drinkers avoid hangovers will encourage people to consume more alcohol, health campaigners in Scotland have warned.

The drug, known as Myrkl, was first created by a Scandinavian pharmaceutical company in 1990.

Since then, it has been perfected in 'over 30 years of research and development' to become the miracle hangover cure it claims to be today.

In order for the pill to work, which costs £2 a dose, drinkers need to take at least two tablets an hour before drinking. 

The drug contains special bacteria that are said to be very effective at metabolising alcohol and get to work before alcohol enters the bloodstream.

According to the manufacturers, taking two tables before drinking results in "up to 70% [of] alcohol broken down after 60 minutes". 

This means that if someone drinks 50ml of 40% spirits, which contains 20ml of pure alcohol, as little as 6ml of the alcohol will enter the bloodstream. This is the same as the person only drinking 15ml of spirits.

This reduction in the amount of alcohol absorbed by the body is mirrored by a reduction in the short-term effects of alcohol, such as euphoria and reduced anxiety.

Frederic Fernandez, of of Myrkl's co-owners says the company's first six months' inventory sold out in 24 hours in the UK.

He says it is aimed at middle-aged men and woman who are moderate drinkers and "want to feel their best after a celebration". He said it is "absolutely not" for people who wish to get very drunk.

However health campaigners say it will lead to drinkers consuming more to feel the usual effects of alcohol.

A hangover is mainly due to the dehydrating effects of alcohol, which can give rise to a headache and nausea.

The evidence for Myrkl is based on a single published research study.

Twenty-four healthy young white adults were asked to take either two Myrkl pills or dummy pills each day for seven days.

They were then given a small amount of alcohol (between 50 and 90ml of spirits) based on their weight. Their blood alcohol level was tested for the next two hours.

The researchers found that within the first 60 minutes, the amount of alcohol in the blood was 70% lower in those who received Myrkl compared with the dummy pill.

However,  the researchers only reported results from 14 of the 24 people because ten had lower blood alcohol levels at the start and results varied.

Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said, “The best - and cheapest - way to avoid a hangover is not to drink too much in one sitting.

"This pill means it will take longer for the effects of alcohol to be felt and that could lead to people buying and consuming more alcohol.  

“That is the real worry of this pill - people may inadvertently end up drinking more than they normally would, putting them at risk of a range of long-term health conditions such as liver disease, heart disease and stroke, as well as at least eight different types of cancer including bowel and breast cancer.

“The Chief Medical Officers recommend not regularly drinking above 14 units a week, spreading the number of units you do drink over a few days and having days where you don’t drink at all.”