WA snubs oxygen trend

by Katherine Ferguson

May 20, 2008

Oxygen bars, all the rage in Europe, USA and Australia’s eastern states, have proved a big flop in WA.

Oxygen bars allow you to hook yourself up to pure oxygen, through a plastic hose inserted into the nostrils. WA seems to be the only place that hasn’t indulged in the hype, with the only oxygen bar, O2U, closing down last year due to lack of popularity.

Robbie McDonald from O2 vibe, a mobile oxygen bar operating in NSW, said mobility was the key to his success, and offered this as a reason why O2U failed.

“Its’ hard to stay in business if you’re only in one location because people want the oxygen at the gym, at parties and at nightclubs,” he said. “People aren’t going to come looking for an oxygen bar.”

Mr McDonald says oxygen bars are “great in the party life” and give a similar feeling to the rush of oxygen you get after breathing out a cigarette.

His oxygen comes in 31 flavours, including pina colada, “sex on the beach” and “death by chocolate”.

02 vibe has visited the Melbourne Cup, Melbourne’s Grand Prix and various NSW nightclubs. It was also used at Perth’s Big Day Out.

However, the Australian Lung Foundation spokeswoman Julie Brown said there may not be any reason to imbibe Mr McDonald’s gas, claiming the benefits were just a placebo.

“The average person’s bloodstream is already full of oxygen,” she said. “It is unlikely to have much of an impact.”

McDonald disagreed, claiming oxygen bars had many health benefits.

“It’s great for hangovers, headaches, wrinkles and pimples,” he spruiked. “It leaves you revitalised, energised and feeling clean.”