Cultivating a taste for charcoal?

At the Seattle bar Alchemy, activated charcoal is stirred into a signature cocktail called the Black and White.  Salty Caramel Ash -- again with charcoal -- is a customer favorite at an ice cream store.

Do facts support the perceived health benefits of ingesting the black substance?

Lingtak-Neander Chan, vice chair of UW's School of Pharmacy, offers insight in downloadable video soundbites. See the accompanying blog item.