BY: JESSICA BEUKER
A Canadian company has started bottling Rocky Mountain air and selling it to Chinese consumers.
The idea started out as a joke, but since then has turned into a hot commodity as the first batch of 500 bottles sold out in only four days, according to The Telegraph. This is likely because China’s rising pollution levels have recently hit an all-time high.
Vitality Air was founded last year in Edmonton, but only began selling in China two months ago. Another batch of 4,000 bottles is currently making its way to China.
A 7.7 litre can of mountain air taken from Banff National Park sells for around 100 yuan, or $32, which is absurd and also 50 times more expensive than a bottle of mineral water in China.
The creators realized that there was a market for this after they jokingly tried to sell a bag of air on eBay for 99 cents and it actually sold. So they were even more surprised when a second bag reached a bidding price of $168, according to the National Post.
Each bottle of air comes with an attached breathing mask and the promise of more than 150 inhalations. According to the National Post, “the label touts the air’s assistance in ‘exam prep,’ ‘recovery’ and ‘training,’ although a disclaimer notes that Vitality Air is not meant for ‘curing, treating or preventing any diseases or disorders.’”
While the entire idea seems completely ridiculous, and frankly like a big rip-off, the consumers are not complaining one bit. One customer even said she could feel her baby kicking after she breathed in some of the fresh air. Whether or not it was a placebo effect is the question.
We may laugh, but according to the website, there was also a time when people laughed off bottled water.
